Early Intervention Strategies for Success

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

 

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Letting It Go…Role Release and Why It Can Be Hard

Posted on March 11, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Teamwork

Maybe you’ve been working in early intervention for many years and you’re great at what you do. Or perhaps, you’re brand new to the field and eager to try out your skills. In either position, it can be a struggle to get out there and find that you need to release your role to someone …

Fading Yourself Out of the Picture…

Posted on March 06, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination

From the first time we meet a family or begin working with a child, we need to be thinking about how we can fade ourselves out of the picture. This seems like an oxymoron because we’re there for a reason – to help. There’s such a fine line between helping and creating dependence, and I …

Which Activity is Really Routines-Based?

Posted on February 20, 2014 by in All, Bridging the Gap, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

Today let’s think about what “routines-based” intervention really means. See if you can spot the similarities and differences between these two intervention activities:

Activity #1: Aimee is visiting with Josiah and his father, Martin. Josiah has an outcome on his IFSP to address his balance and coordination as he uses his walker to move about his home …

Walking the Parent-Professional Boundary

Posted on February 18, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Teamwork

Establishing and maintaining professional boundaries is an ongoing and important process for every early interventionist. Because interventionists work so closely with families, the boundaries between the parent-professional partnership and friendship can become blurred. This can happen for both people in the partnership, but it is ultimately the professional’s responsibility to maintain the boundary.
Consider this real …

Is That Even In My Job Description?

Posted on February 14, 2014 by in All, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination

I graduated in May 2013 from JMU with my Master’s degree in Inclusive Early Childhood Education. From the moment I stepped off stage after receiving my diploma I knew that I was destined to work in early intervention. I knew that I was ready to get my own caseload full of children and families who …

Military Deployment is Hard, but You Can Help

Posted on February 11, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

Being deployed or separated from family and friends is common for military families, but it’s not simple. It is a trying time, even for families that have experienced numerous deployments. Even for very young babies, as they too can sense the anxious times associated with deployment. Adding to the challenge is the realization that each …

Tips for Working with Interpreters

Posted on February 04, 2014 by in All, IFSP Development, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, Teamwork

Today we hosted a fantastic Talks on Tuesdays webinar on culture and cultural competence, presented by Cecily Rodriguez from the VA Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The webinar will be archived on our Talks on Tuesdays 1014 page soon if you missed it. Several questions related to working with language interpreters were asked …

Guiding Parents during IFSP Development

Posted on January 30, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, IFSP Development, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination

Will, the service coordinator, is sensing that Malika, Jeremiah’s mother, is feeling overwhelmed after the assessment. Malika has agreed to proceed with developing Jeremiah’s IFSP, but when they get to discussing possible outcomes, she becomes quiet and tells the other team members to put whatever they think Jeremiah needs to learn on the plan. Will …

A Parent’s Early Days in EI

Posted on January 28, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Practical Strategies

Finding out your child isn’t developing typically can be inexplicably difficult.  Many of us were in a fog when our children first got started in early intervention.
Initial Diagnosis & Finding Early Intervention
The devastation I felt after my son was diagnosed with Down syndrome subsided long ago, but the memories are vivid.  Arlo is 3 years …

Beware the Hairy Eyeball…

Posted on January 16, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

Do you know what the hairy eyeball is?? I do because I’ve been told that I give it without even knowing it. It’s that look that gives away what I’m thinking. It might be a glance or a raised eye brow, or my eyes might open a little more widely. Whatever it looks like, I …

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