Early Intervention Strategies for Success

Sharing What Works in Supporting Infants & Toddlers and the Families in Early Intervention

 

But Everyone Else Still Brings Toys…

Posted on March 10, 2016 by in Adult Learning, All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Teamwork

Are you Service Provider A or Service Provider B?

Service Provider A always brings a bag of toys to each visit because this allows her to plan ahead. Having a toy bag ensures that she has the materials that she knows will work, which is great because many children she sees don’t have many toys. The children …

Writing an Interim IFSP

Posted on March 02, 2016 by in All, Engaging Families, IFSP Development, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, What Would You Do?

Marco was recently referred to early intervention (EI) due to suspected global delays. His family is living in a homeless shelter and only has one more week left before they must leave. His father is trying hard to find employment but is challenged by his lack of childcare. He is the sole caregiver for three …

Explaining WHY We Ask So Many Questions

Posted on February 16, 2016 by in All, Coaching Practices, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination

Imagine you are the parent who’s child is newly referred to early intervention (EI). Someone calls you and asks to come by your home. “Why,” you wonder, “do they want to come here?” Then, when the service coordinator arrives for the intake, she asks you personal questions about your child’s medical history and your family …

The Challenge of Electronic Toys on Visits

Posted on February 04, 2016 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

This will come as no surprise to you as an early interventionist…findings from a new study in the online journal JAMA Pediatrics suggest that electronic toys are not so good for toddler communication development. Shocked? I knew you wouldn’t be.
Electronic Toys & Play Interactions
I often found this to be a big challenge on intervention visits …

Making EI Visits in the Snow

Posted on January 26, 2016 by in All, Intervention Visits, Local EI System Management, Practical Strategies

You’re back at work and facing a daunting task…making up all the visits missed on the previous two snow days. Three of your families live on small back roads that probably won’t see a plow for days. Two others love the snow so you can expect that they’ll want to you to come ready to …

Reflecting Forward into 2016

Posted on January 05, 2016 by in All, Celebrating Early Intervention, Professional Development

Okay, I think I made that up: “reflecting forward.” It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but let me explain.

Reflection implies that we intentionally and mindfully think about our actions – either while in the moment (reflection in action) or afterwards (reflection on action). As we begin a fresh, wide open new year, now is a …

The Family Gives You a Gift…What Do You Do?

Posted on December 15, 2015 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, What Would You Do?

You walk into your last visit with Brayden’s family before the holidays. The visit goes well, and as you are wrapping up, Brayden’s mother hands you a wrapped gift and wishes you “Happy Holidays.” On the outside, you’re smiling and thanking her, but on the inside, you’re stumbling because your agency has a policy against …

Child & Family Outcomes…How Do You Know??

Posted on December 10, 2015 by in All, Intervention Visits, Local EI System Management, Practical Strategies, Professional Development

Here’s a question for EI leadership: How do you know if your program is achieving positive outcomes for children and families? 

This question is an intricate one for local system managers and other leaders. The answer lies at the heart of what we do.
Child Outcomes – How Do You Know?
On the surface, you could say, sure we …

A Professional Imposter: Reflections From an EI Provider/Mom

Posted on December 02, 2015 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

After earning a masters degree in education at the University of Kansas, I moved to North Carolina and accepted my first professional position as an Infant-Toddler Specialist providing home based services to infants and toddlers with identified developmental differences or those at risk for future delays.  This opportunity put me directly in the trenches with …

What Are You Thankful For?

Posted on November 24, 2015 by in All, Celebrating Early Intervention, Professional Development

Okay, so after 5 years of blogging I’m finally doing the thankfulness blog post during the holiday week. I could resist no longer…no, really. This just seems like the perfect time to think about what we are grateful for with the work that we do.
Top 5 Reasons I’m Thankful for EI
Here are the top five things …

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