You’ve worked really hard this year. You’ve stretched to fit into a mold of providing early intervention (EI) that was unlike any you’d ever experienced before. You struggled, you persisted, and you succeeded. You did it because you love what you do. You also did it because you love the families.

This new video, Parents and Early Intervention, from the Early Intervention Training Program at the University of Illinois is like a gift to all EI practitioners for the hard work you’ve done this year. It reminds us about the power of high quality intervention and how important our partnership with families can be. I know you know this, but it sure is nice to hear it from a family. Now, take 7:59 minutes to meet the Warren family and hear their story. I guarantee it’ll make your day.

See, doesn’t that do your heart good?

So yes, this may have been one of the most challenging years we’ve faced as a field, but when other businesses and services closed, EI did not. You continued to support families, reaching them virtually, checking on them by phone, and working together in ways that were new, different, creative, and inspiring. Now, as you reflect on this past year, ask yourself:

When you think of families you have supported, what do you hope they say about their EI experience?

Type your reflections in the comments below.

*Thank you to EITP and the Warren Family for sharing their story!*

For more videos featuring families’ experiences, visit the Families’ Experiences in EI page on the EI Video Library.

The post A Gift for You – New “Parents and Early Intervention” Video from EITP Illinois appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Several years ago, I found that my EI caseload included a couple of families with stay-at-home dads. This was a first for me, and I found myself struggling to connect with family caregivers, which hadn’t happened to me since I was new to the field.  Both men were quite nice, but I stumbled when I tried to make conversation to build rapport.  What did I have in common with these men? With moms, I could build rapport around so many shared experiences being moms and women.   One dad was a former football player and the other was a fitness expert.  My idea of working out was to walk from the couch to the bookshelf. 

So, I did what I always do when I’m unsure- I read and researched.  I searched and searched for good information on working with dads.  I found almost nothing except for a few articles on how men and women communicate differently.  I had to muddle through mostly on my own, but we all made it through together.  These experiences helped shaped my later academic research. 

3 Key Strategies for Building Relationships with Dads

Here are some of the key strategies I used to build successful relationships with dads.

Talk side to side rather than face to face.

I can’t remember the source anymore, but the one tip I did garner from searching for books and articles was that men are socialized to talk with each other and others while they are engaged in a task or standing side by side, while woman are socialized to look at each other while talking. This strategy was immediately helpful! When the fitness expert dad offered to make me a fancy coffee, I took that opportunity of having his back to me to ask some deeper questions about what his hopes for his daughter were and what he wanted from EI.  It worked! This became part of our weekly routine.  He would make me a fancy coffee and I would use this time while he wasn’t looking at me to chat and build rapport.  With the other dad, I started positioning my body angled from him instead of looking directly at him.  This also worked immediately.  He opened up a little more when we weren’t looking directly at each other and I realized we could connect over our similar senses of humor.  He hasn’t been a client in years, but our relationship became strong enough that he sends updates on his son’s progress several times a year. 

Explicitly invite dads into therapeutic activities.

I learned to do this based on anecdotes from my own work in EI and the dads in my research verified it’s really important.  Many dads aren’t sure about what EI is supposed to be, especially if they aren’t the primary caregivers of their children. They hang back and watch or wait for their wife or partner to give them a summary of what happened.  Extend a direct invitation by saying, “Hey, we’re going to work on motor skills.  Come on over and help me make an obstacle course with the couch cushions” or “One of our outcomes that your kiddo can communicate her wants and needs.  Let’s take her in the kitchen and work on some strategies to get her communicating for snack time.” This signals that the dad is an important part of what’s happening and that you want him to participate. 

Be really clear about what you are doing and why.  Provide this information in writing, too.

Both the dads I worked with and the dads in my research wanted clear explanations of why their EI providers were giving them and their children specific tasks.  They wanted to know exactly how doing an obstacle course was related to motor development or how giving a choice of two items at snack time helped with communication development. For many of EI providers this information is so much a part of what we do, that we don’t think to explain the connection.  The dads in my research didn’t always feel comfortable asking providers these questions or they asked the questions but didn’t remember the answers after the provider left.  Make sure to provide written explanations that address the what and the why.  Remember, a quick text (if allowed by your program) counts as being in writing (just make sure you send it to mom AND dad).

Have you tried any of these strategies? Have one we haven’t thought of? Or maybe want some advice about a tricky situation with a dad?

Leave a comment and let us know!

For more information about working with dads, you can check out the Dads Matter! Webinar Series (external website) on the VA Early Intervention Professional Development Center (external website) site. Scroll down on the page to find both archived webinars.  

Megan has over a decade of experience working with fathers as an early intervention developmental specialist. Currently, she is an assistant professor at Salem State University, where she teaches future early interventionists and researches dads’ experiences working with early intervention programs. Megan lives in Salem, MA, with her husband, daughter, and two exceptionally naughty cats.

The post 3 Key Strategies for Building Relationships with Dads appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

We are at the end of our discussion on the levels of awareness of parent of young children with disabilities. We have explored the ostrich phase – a time when a parent has a lack of awareness about disabilities and may not recognize the characteristics of a disability displayed by his or her child. Additionally, we have examined the phase of special designation – the stage at which parents have, through some transformational experience, recognized that their child indeed has a disability, and will require some additional assistance from a service provider to maximize his or her personal potential. Last month, we reviewed the normalization phase when a parent minimizes differences between the child and his or her typically developing classmates and siblings.

Fourth Level of Awareness: Self-Actualization

Today, we are going to explore a parent’s fourth and final level of awareness – Self-Actualization. In this level of awareness, a parent fully recognizes that his or her child with disabilities need supports. Not only does a parent at this level recognize the need for support, but by this time in a parent’s journey, based on the experience of raising and loving the child, the parent has his or her own perspectives on how these needs should be met.

During the time of parenting their child with disabilities, the parent has developed an expertise on a subject – his or her child.

Parents of children with disabilities have been described as practical scientists, and co-therapists, who take an active role in educating and raising their children while becoming skilled at selecting appropriate interventions. Parents may not have the fancy words that you as an early intervention professional have based on your knowledge of the content. However, they are doing some of the same things that you are doing in your practice at home. The interventions just look a little differently.

A self-actualized parent is ready to exercise his or her role as your partner in moving the child’s growth and development forward. And at this point of development, the parent is incapable of being a silent parent. The self-actualized parent is vocal and active. At times, the strong opinion and confidence that develop during and after the self-actualization phase can be met with a bit of resistance from service providers. However, this new found parental authority, when discussing the needs of the child, should be met with a listening ear and an open heart. The parent is now fully capable of exercising and expressing expertise regarding who his or her child is and what the child needs.

The Magic is About to Happen!

As early interventionists, you are in a help-giving profession. Thus, you want to ensure that you are offering families help that is relevant to the family’s needs

How can you achieve that goal?

By listening to your partner – the parent.

The phase of self-actualization is a reflective space. The parent has had the opportunity to think about the child, think about his or her parenting, think about what he or she feels will be the best way forward for the child and family. The self-actualized parent is ready and fully expects to be your partner.

However, this partnership will require a respectful reciprocal relationship between you and the parent.

True Partnerships are Comprised of Two Equals

You can’t be in partnership if, as the service provider, you walk into the relationship and take the lead. That’s not a partnership. The parent is asked to follow your lead in that situation. However, if the relationship is approached with the understanding that you are the expert on the professional knowledge and the parent is the expert on the child and how the disability manifests itself in the child, you can begin to respect and acknowledge the parent as a true partner.

Also, it is critical to remember that, as early interventionists, the goal is to improve children’s outcome. Therefore, you want to empower and enable parents, because no matter how great of a service provider you are or how much you love a child, your time with that child will expire. Parents and caregivers are forever. So, take this time to strengthen your partner.

Therefore, instead of striving to have a parent say you were best service provider the child ever had, you want a parent to say, “While working Ms. Angela, I learned strategies that I use with Molly to this day.”

That self-actualized parent is primed to receive the knowledge you have to give. However, self-actualized parents require and expect that you recognize and accept the knowledge and input they have to offer, as well.

This Child is Their LIFE!

These parents have now fully owned their role as parents of a child with disabilities. They are no longer in a state of not knowing. They are no longer looking for someone to “fix” their child. They are no longer comparing their child to other children.

They just see their most precious child – uniquely different, but not less than.

Unfortunately, as professionals who works with young children and their families, you may not witness a parent move through all of these levels of awareness during your time with a family. However, you must trust the process, not rush the process. And remember a parent’s time of being a parent is 22 years +. And just like the children you serve, parents too take time to develop.

When you commit the time to truly partnering with a parent and assist in that parent’s development as a parent of a child with disabilities, your legacy lives on in that family forever. You become the gift that keeps on giving.

So, be the gift that keeps on giving! We’re counting on YOU!

Have you had the opportunity to partner with a parent who you believed reach the self-actualization phase of awareness?

How did that experience compare to partnering with parent in the ostrich, special designation, or normalization phases?

Check out El’s archived webinar: Mama Bear: Using Parent Narratives and Experience to Improve Engagement Practices

Be sure to read the other posts in this series:

Emerging Parenthood: Trust the Process – Don’t Rush the Process

Levels of Awareness: The Ostrich Phase

Special Designation: The Parent’s Aha Moment

Normalization – The Hope Phase

El is an educator, entrepreneur, author, and PhD candidate specializing in Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education at George Mason University. Prior to leaving the traditional classroom, El served as an Elementary and Early Childhood Educator in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. She is the founder of KinderJam, an Early Childhood Education care, enrichment, and training agency. Above all, El is the proud mother of an 11-year-old son on the autism spectrum, affectionately known as SuperDuperKid (SDK). El can be reached at elbrown@kinderjam.com.

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Drew Dudley believes every person has changed someone’s life not by doing something extraordinary but rather through the everyday simple actions of being a leader. These actions can be so small a person may not even recall it in his or her memory. Mr. Dudley presents this inspiring Ted Talk on everyday leadership.

Take 6 minutes to hear his story:

“We have made leadership something bigger than us.”

Drew Dudley is right. If we relate leadership to only changing the world, maybe we need to redefine it. Drew Dudley worries “sometimes we spend so much time celebrating amazing things that hardly anybody can do, that we’ve convinced ourselves those are the only things worth celebrating.” The truth is there are moments that occur every day that define you as a true leader. Awareness and intention to understand the power of our own light can help us recognize what Mr. Dudley calls “lollipop moments.” Those moments are what makes us leaders.

“A lollipop moment is a moment someone said something and did something that made your life fundamentally better.”

Take a moment to pause and reflect on this statement. Who has impacted your life by simply saying or doing something? How have you impacted others?

It’s possible we do not always realize the power of our own words and actions in everyday moments. One day, I remember I was leaving the soccer field. A mother approached me and asked if I remembered her. She looked very familiar and then I recalled working with the family in early intervention. This mother gave me an update on her child and thanked me for supporting them. She told me she often thinks of the impact I made on them by providing the foundation for her, her husband and grandparents to help her son continue to grow in his journey. Wow! I was speechless. I did not realize the power of my influence on this family.

These are moments we have all experienced and never realized it……..a lollipop moment. This mother just found an opportunity to thank me for it.

Drew Dudley challenges us to “redefine leadership about lollipop moments. How many we create? How many we acknowledge? How many of them we pay forward? How many we say thank you for?” I am accepting this challenge and will remain aware of the opportunities to create lollipop moments with families. I will acknowledge the power I hold as a leader. I will model characteristics of a great leader daily during my visits and when working with my team members. I will thank others when they say or do something that impacts change in my life.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. -Marianne Williamson

Please feel free to share your own lollipop moment when someone has impacted your life or thanked you for impacting their life.

What were your first thoughts after watching this video?

The post Everyday Leadership: Redefining Leadership in Lollipop Moments appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Have you heard the news? Assessment teams all over Virginia are integrating the Decision Tree (PDF, New Window) into practice (Drum Roll Please). The Decision Tree is a tool used for teaming and family engagement during the child outcomes summary process.

Let’s imagine that a team from Collaboration County is successfully using the Decision Tree. What might this look like? Keep reading to find out.

Let me introduce you to the team as we check in with them prior to, during, and after their assessment for service planning (ASP).

Margaret – Local System Manager (LSM)
Khadijah – Service Coordinator (SC)
Anika – Speech Therapist (ST)
Charles – Educator (Ed)
Parent – Marisol (Tyler’s Mother)

Before reading about this team’s example below, print the Key Tips handout (PDF, New Window). Highlight the tips you see as the team implements the Decision Tree.

Prior to the ASP

At the staff meeting, Margaret (LSM) introduced the new Decision Tree to the team and handed them a copy. She helped the team familiarize themselves with the Decision Tree by facilitating a discussion using a scenario-based Learning Byte (PDF, New Window). Margaret divided the team into pairs.

Khadijah (SC) practiced facilitating the discussion on Social/Emotional Skills, including social relationships with Anika (ST). Khadijah explained what is expected in this area for a 28 month old child. She discussed some specific examples when prompted on the Decision Tree. Khadijah asked Anika for additional input. Khadijah did not feel comfortable at first, but began to feel more familiar with the flow of the Decision Tree. Anika (ST) took a turn and practiced as well. Anika and Khadijah quickly realized the importance of gathering information about a child’s development and participation across all settings and situations in order to be successful implementing the Decision Tree.

Margaret (LSM) reflected with her staff on the activity and provided time to ask questions and support each other through this process. Everyone loves how the Decision Tree engages the caregiver as an integral member of the team.

After the meeting, Khadijah (SC), Anika (ST), and Charles (Ed) discussed who would facilitate the child outcomes summary discussion at their next assessment with Tyler and his family. Khadijah (SC) agreed with her team to facilitate the discussion.

During the Meeting

During the assessment for service planning, Charles (Ed) helped to ensure team members asked a variety of open-ended questions that included how the child participated throughout several settings and routines. When it was time to discuss the three outcome areas, Khadijah (SC) showed Marisol, Tyler’s mom, the handout on the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia Child Outcomes Summary Process as she explained what the three child outcomes entail. Anika (ST) noticed Marisol’s eyebrows furrowed. She asked Tyler’s mom, “What questions do you have for us?” After answering questions, Khadijah continued to facilitate the discussion in each child outcome area. Anika (ST) and Charles (Ed) each provided specific examples of the child’s strengths and areas of growth. Marisol added individualized examples of Tyler’s functional skills within different routines like waking up and going to the grocery store.

During the discussion, Tyler began to cry and Marisol stated he was probably hungry. Khadijah (SC) asked Marisol if she would like to move the meeting to the kitchen while Tyler ate a snack. Marisol agreed this would be best before continuing to help her focus on the discussion. Khadijah (SC) showed the team the Decision Tree to thoughtfully reflect on each question. Marisol contributed specific examples of Tyler’s abilities and activities along with Anika (ST) and Charles (Ed) until they agreed on a statement to describe Tyler’s functional behaviors compared to his same aged peers.

After the Meeting

Khadijah, Anika, and Charles left the home and met back up at a coffee shop. They reflected on what went well. They agreed each of them provide a different perspective and supported to the family throughout. Changing rooms to finish the discussion helped satisfy Tyler when he was hungry and engage Marisol in the discussion. Team members provided support to each other throughout the process.

Khadijah, Anika, and Charles identified ways they could grow as a team. Khadijah (SC) reflects that her explanation to Marisol on the child outcomes summary process could have been more detailed to help Marisol understand and feel comfortable participating. Charles (Ed) wants to write down examples within routines and settings so he does not forget as they discuss each area. Anika (ST) showed Charles the tool she utilizes called the Assessment for Service Planning Notes Template. Anika (ST) wants to practice asking more open-ended questions around routines.

At the next staff meeting, Margaret (LSM) reflected with her staff on how implementation of the Decision Tree was going. It was a rich discussion filled with what has been going well and how her staff would like to improve.

You heard it here first folks. The Collaboration County team is engaging families and utilizing strong teaming and collaboration throughout the child outcomes summary process.

How do you implement the Decision Tree in your locality?

What ways do you enhance your teaming process?

What strategies do you use to engage the family in the child outcomes summary process?

The post Extra! Extra! Read All About…Integrating the Decision Tree appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Transition is a hefty topic here in Virginia, and I bet it’s probably a hefty topic in other states as well. Transition, and all of the requirements that go along with it, can be overwhelming to all members of the IFSP team. In VA, we often hear from service coordinators that transition is hard – hard to remember all of the steps involved, hard to complete the documentation accurately, hard to manage timelines, and hard to collaborate with receiving programs. For service providers (and service coordinators too), it can be hard to let families go. For families, transition can be a scary time of moving from the known to the unknown and learning to trust someone new with their child. Despite the challenges, we hope that in the end, transition is smooth and results in children and families moving to the next environment where they will be supported and successful.

That all sounds great, but how do you do it? What does smooth and successful transition look like?

A Flexible and Focused Journey

Answering those questions is tricky because transition should be an individualized process. It should be flexible but focused, with the journey being as important as the destination. We often think of transition as the journey from Part C early intervention (EI) to Part B early childhood special education preschool services. The DEC Recommended Practices on transition remind us to think more broadly. Transition in EI includes any change in environment, such as a preemie’s move from the NICU to home or a two year old’s move from home-based EI services to classroom-based preschool under Part B, Early Head Start, a local church preschool, or child care center.

DEC Recommended Practices: Transition

Transition often represents a big change for the family, so what we, as EI practitioners, do before, during, and after that change really matters. Let’s consider the two recommended practices and how what you do impacts what successful transition looks like.

TR1. Practitioners in sending and receiving programs exchange information before, during, and after transition about practices most likely to support the child’s successful adjustment and positive outcomes.

As we see in this practice, it matters what we do before, during, and after the journey:

Before transition: Exchanging information when preparing for transition might look like a service coordinator sharing the IFSP and evaluation information with the receiving program (with parent permission) at the point of referral. It might look like the parent sharing a homemade booklet about her child with the IEP team so they can learn who her child really is. 

During transition: Imagine the speech therapist from the EI program talking with the receiving preschool teacher about how best to support the child’s communication starting the first day of school. Or, the EI physical therapist (PT) working closely with the receiving program’s PT to ensure the new program has the appropriate equipment so the child has the stability he needs to participate in group activities. 

After transition: Even though the child will be discharged from the EI program just before transition, wouldn’t it be great if the receiving program staff could still reach out to the EI practitioners with questions about how to help the child adjust to the new environment? Similarly, the EI staff could reach out to the family to check in on the child’s adjustment and offer support, even just over the phone. Staying in touch, even though the child is no longer receiving EI services, would be a wonderful way to facilitate that seamless transition. 

TR2. Practitioners use a variety of planned and timely strategies with the child and family before, during, and after the transition to support successful adjustment and positive outcomes for both the child and family.

Implementing this practice reminds us that transition should be well-planned and coordinated. For a service coordinator, this might look like closely monitoring required timelines for Part B referral, which in Virginia includes referring children by April 1st (or earlier in some localities) to ensure that eligible children start preschool the first day of the next school year. Service coordinators also ensure that transition planning occurs at least 90 days but not more than 9 months prior to the anticipated date of transition. Transition conferences are held so families can learn about their options and plan accordingly.

During the transition process, the service coordinator and other providers can help families prepare and provide needed information to the receiving programs (such as proof of residency). They may attend eligibility or IEP meetings with families for support. Service coordinators and providers can check in regularly with families about the process, answer questions, and link families with other parents who have been through the process. 

Providers can help children and families prepare for the new environment by working together on outcomes to help the child be successful. Examples of this could include teaching the child to use an AAC device to communicate more clearly with others, helping the child learn to use a gait trainer to maneuver around obstacles in a busy setting, assisting the parent in finding opportunities for the child to learn to play near other children, or encouraging the family to teach the child to hang up a jacket, carry his backpack, or help clean up after lunch. 

What transition looks like and how the journey unfolds will be different for each child and family. What we do, as EI practitioners, before, during, and after transition can help make sure the process is a positive one that prepares children (and their parents) to be successful wherever they go next.

What is one of the most important things you can do to help families prepare for transition?

How do you support families during and after transition? 

Share how you implement the transition practices in the comments below!

To read more about how to implement other DEC Recommended Practices, be sure to check out the rest of this series by searching for “DEC Recommended Practices” using the search feature at the top of the page.

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Maybe you’ve felt this before…you are on a visit and it’s the parent’s turn to practice using an intervention strategy. Perhaps you just modeled it, or you and the parent came up with an idea and want to give it a try. When you ask the parent if she’d like to try it, she averts her gaze and answers “I guess so,” with an uncomfortable look on her face. Perhaps when the parent tries to engage her child, you sense her discomfort then too. In turn, you feel uncomfortable and wonder…what do I do?

Early intervention is all about building a parent’s capacity to facilitate her child’s development. In the best case scenario, the parent is eager to learn, confident with engaging her child, and interested in trying new things. In the worst case scenario, the parent doesn’t even want you in the home. In reality, most parents are somewhere in between, on a looooong continuum of parent-child engagement, comfort level, interest and readiness.

5 Strategies for Responding to Discomfort

As an early interventionist, you work hard to build rapport and trust and get to know the family in a way that lays the foundation for how you’ll work together. Again, that’s easier sometimes than others. A key aspect of getting to know families really involves being responsive – responsive to their needs, interests, priorities, and feelings. Responsivity is a critical skill to use in the situation described above.

Here are 5 responsive strategies to help you manage discomfort:

Acknowledge what you sense – Ask the parent how she feels as soon as you sense discomfort. Be specific: “I’m wondering if you’re feeling a little uncomfortable?” or “How do you feel about using that strategy?” You could be wrong about what you sense, but you won’t know until you ask. Let her know that how she feels is okay and that she can decide whether or not to proceed – give her the choice.

Ask her how that felt – After trying the strategy, check in again. Be specific: “How comfortable are you with that strategy? How did that feel? What did you think about that?” Be responsive to her answer and make it safe for her to be honest. Don’t insist on using a strategy just because you think it’s a good one. If a parent feels uncomfortable, she’s less likely to use that strategy when you aren’t there.

Ask if she would like to do something differently – Invite the parent’s input and problem-solve together. Maybe she has an idea of how to tweak the strategy or situation to make it easier or more comfortable. Flexibility is a hallmark of good early intervention.

Try to build on what she and her child already do – Before even introducing a new strategy, find out what they already do or have already tried. Observe the parent and child first doing what they naturally do. Model the strategy first, if that helps the parent. Brainstorm how the strategy might be used during the activity, then coach the parent in how to use it during a familiar interaction. Seize the opportunities as they happen and be sure to provide feedback when the parent uses the strategy successfully. Remember your role as a facilitator of the parent’s learning too.

Step back, reassess, and consider options – Sometimes you and the parent have to try a strategy to figure out it’s not the right one. Use the conversation to help you reassess whether or not the strategy is appropriate for the child, parent, and situation. If it is and the parent is okay, then proceed. If not, step back and reassess. There is always another route to the outcome so be open to it.

How Much Discomfort is Okay?

Now, this raises the question of how much discomfort is acceptable? To me, the answer lies in your conversations with families. EI can push parents out of their comfort zone as they learn to use new strategies with their children. It can be uncomfortable to try something new with an unpredictable toddler in front of someone who is perceived as having expertise. The trick here is to have the courage to acknowledge the discomfort and talk about it so you and the parent can figure out what to do next. Options might include tweaking the strategy, modeling it again for the parent, trying it again a few times, letting the parent try it between visits on her own, or simply ditching the strategy all together…and all of these options are okay. Being responsive to what the parent is feeling will help you know what to do next.

What do you do when a parent seems uncomfortable? 

Share your experiences and strategies in the comments below!

The post The Parent Seems Uncomfortable…What Do You Do? appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

It’s Thursday afternoon and I’m banging my head on the steering wheel after my home visit. Why? Because I’ve spent the last hour coaching this family to stop giving their two year old a bottle when she can drink from a sippy cup, straw, and an open cup. It’s not like we haven’t worked on this IFSP goal every week for the last 4 months. It is such a struggle for me–what is the point of me going if they aren’t going to follow through?

WAIT! The struggle isn’t about me.

I recently came across this video about leadership and coaching that used a butterfly emerging from a cocoon as an illustration. The man watching saw the butterfly struggling and finally decided to help. Unfortunately, the struggling is important for the butterfly’s wings and body to correctly form. By helping, the man caused more harm than good.

This made me ask myself: Am I helping this family by sharing my experience and knowledge with child development or am I harming them by not coaching them to solve the problem themselves?

The following coaching strategies recommended in this video shaped the next few visits I had with this family.

Ask Questions – I asked more questions about the bottle. I learned that the issue isn’t the little girl drinking from a bottle, but being consoled in the middle of the night when she cries too loud and wakes up other family members.

Explore the Situation – I was able explore the family’s bedtime routine and brainstorm with the family possible replacement behaviors for the bottle to soothe the little girl.

Have Patience – It has been two more months since I began viewing this struggle differently. The little girl is still taking the bottle, but the family is trying some of the strategies we come up with during visits. More importantly, they have shared other challenges and ways they have tried to work through them (they don’t wait for me).

The struggle is still real, but I now realize how important it is for the family and I can see the beautiful results emerging!

What are some of the problems your families have struggled with?

Are you coaching to solve their problem for them or coaching them to solve problems themselves?

Laura Harrell is an Early Interventionist and Early Intervention Resource Agency Manager with Prospect. She has provided developmental therapy to families just east of Nashville for the last three years. Laura previously worked for ten years in Alabama with Early Intervention, Childcare Enhancement with a Purpose, and Assistive Technology. She can be reached at: Lharrell@prospectinc.com

The post The Struggle is Real…Important appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Think about the following perspectives during the Assessment for Service Planning and IFSP development process:

Team Members Arrive

SC: I arrive to facilitate the assessment for service planning and IFSP development for Jacoby. I meet Franklin, occupational therapist, and Maria, developmental specialist. We all walk in and I introduce Marilyn and Kevin (Jacoby’s mother and father) to Franklin and Maria.

Family: I open the door and immediately feel intimidated and outnumbered as Tamira, our service coordinator, walks in with two other people. She introduces them, but I already forgot their name and discipline. I am not even sure what they do exactly.

Assessment

SC: I begin to explain what to expect over the next couple of hours. I update the team and check in with the Marilyn and Kevin on any new updates or concerns. Franklin and Maria begin the assessment for service planning, engaging Marilyn and Kevin in questions and Jacoby in play. This is going to take a long time. Jacoby keeps running away. I have a lot of paperwork to get signed and we still need to develop the IFSP.

Family: Jacoby runs away the moment he sees everyone. I hope he cooperates throughout the visit. I am feeling anxious about what to expect. They are asking us a lot of questions. Maybe I should have been paying more attention to Jacoby because I do not know all the answers. I really wish Jacoby would sit down and play with them. He is getting fussy. I bet he wants a snack. I guess he will have to wait.

IFSP Development

SC: I facilitate the IFSP development. When we begin to write outcomes, I begin the discussion by asking Marilyn and Kevin, “What would you like to see Jacoby doing?” 

Family: Jacoby is really becoming upset right now. They are the experts. Just tell me what to do.

Remember the Family Perspective

Assessment for service planning and IFSP development are complex processes which require several tasks be completed by the EI team (including the family). Juggling these tasks can lead all team members to feel some level of stress or anxiety. Parents may feel unsure about what to expect. They may also feel anxious about how to manage their child’s participation and care during the meeting. Marilyn and Kevin were hoping to find answers, support, and future guidance on how to help Jacoby. Tamira, Franklin, and Maria have set tasks to complete during this time and are hoping to complete everything in a timely manner. How can Tamira, Franklin, and Maria provide support to Marilyn and Kevin during this time? Here are some easy tips to support parents.

Be mindful. Before going in the home, take a couple deep breaths and reflect on what this visit means to the family. It can be easy to forget about the parents’ perspective. Remember, the words and actions within each family interaction can impact their perspective of early intervention. Remain aware of feelings that lose focus on the family such as thinking, “I need to hurry before my next visit.” Hurrying may make parents feel unimportant and unheard. Mindfulness allows professionals to be conscious of the caregiver’s feelings and needs.

Check-in periodically with families. Throughout the process, pay attention to the caregiver’s nonverbal cues. Check-in to see if they need a break or have any questions. Caregivers may need a moment to feed their child, change their child’s diaper, use the restroom, or simply step away to quietly process all of the information given. Caregivers may feel like they will interrupt the process. Let caregivers know it is okay to take a break if needed.

Explain. Explain. Explain. Explain what you are doing and why you are doing it. Try not to use acronyms or jargon that may be unfamiliar to the family. Read a caregiver’s nonverbal cues while you explain to see if you need to pause and check for understanding.

In the scenario above, Kevin and Marilyn are experiencing an array of emotions. They are looking to the early interventionists for guidance and understanding. Tamira, Franklin, and Maria can support the family by being mindful, checking in with them, and explaining the process to alleviate some of the family’s worries.

How do you stay focused and present during your interactions with families? 

What are some strategies you use to check-in with families?

What could Tamira, Franklin, and/or Maria do to ease Kevin and Marilyn’s worries throughout the visit?

What other tips would you add to support families?

Add your tips and strategies to the comments below!

The post Don’t Forget the Family’s Perspective appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

On the blog, we often speak from the perspective of the EI professional. Switching up this “voice” a bit is not only fun, but it may help us understand more about the culture of some of our families. The tips I will share are from the millennial parent’s viewpoint in hopes of using their interpretation to help us reach them more effectively. As an Early Intervention professional of 10 years, an Educator to teens and an individual born sandwiched in the middle of the Millennials and the Generation-X’ers, I must say that the two groups communicate completely differently from one another. At times, without proper insight, it can cause a bit of frustration among both groups. Understanding the “why” behind some of the cultural variances is the foundation to building great, impactful relationships. Due to my unique perspective, I’ve noted 11 Things a Millennial Parent Wished a Generation-X EI Provider Knew.

My List

1. Sorry to make you feel uncomfortable but texting me is best. If you want to reach me, text first, email next, call last. I’m more apt to respond.

2. When explaining EI, connect coaching with something that I’m interested in such as sports. It’s more likely to stick.

3. I learn a lot by demonstration. Watching YouTube videos have taught me to watch first then imitate what I see. Use the media to your advantage.

4. Show me child friendly apps to help my little one learn. Because we are often on the phone and tablet, what better way to coach me than to use apps that are readily available.

5. Help me to write goals to include mention of my favorite shows, apps or songs. My little one is often inundated with my culture so barking like a dog because we use the snapchat lens/filter is right up my alley.

6. If you arrive and I’m texting, know that I have mastered multi-tasking. Don’t get offended, I’m not ignoring you.

7. Remind me to put our next appointment in my phone as an alarm or reminder. Writing on the back of a card or on a piece of paper is so outdated.

8. I’m very relaxed so coming in with suits may make me feel uncomfortable. It will be harder to build a coaching relationship with you because now I look at you as an authority figure. Relax, I’ll receive you better this way.

9. Video me suggestions or even send me website or app links like this one from the CDC . I’m sure to use them. It’s even fun to engage me with one during our session. Coaching me this way is fun. I look at visual apps all day so this is definitely speaking my language.

10. If I send you a social media request, take it as a compliment. I must really like you. Don’t ignore it because it effects rapport. Instead let me know your policy. I’ll understand.

11. My communication is often short and to the point. It doesn’t mean I’m not engaged or interested in our dialogue but texting has taught me not to participate in much small talk.

I hope this blog post helps all of us understand Millennials and how they communicate. Let me know if you believe these tips were helpful. If you have any other advice to add from the perspective of a Millennial or you’ve provided services to this generation and believe you have some great information to share, I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts below!

Tier-ra Henry is a spunky millennial who has provided Developmental Services with ITC of Hampton-Newport News for 7 1/2 years. She got her start as a Service Coordinator with Norfolk ITC but after drooling over the fun, creative things the therapist did with the kiddos, she made a switch to serve her hometown with more direct services. She is the mother of an AMAZING 11 year old up-and-coming actress. You can find Tier-ra in the city with her trendy clothes, serving her community and building a strong rapport with families while making learning super fun. In her spare time she is a Personal Stylist. She is a strong advocate for families and believes her job as a Developmental Service Provider allows her to use her heart for social justice and creativity to serve children. She holds a Bachelors of Social Work degree from Norfolk State University.

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