infants Archives - Page 8 of 10 - Early Intervention Strategies for Success

If you haven’t sat in a wet spot yet on a visit, the chances are very likely that you will someday. It just comes with the territory of working with infants and toddlers in natural environments. With infants with reflux, potty-training toddlers and little ones roaming the house with sippy cups, family pets, and other …

One inch cubes…the staple of every assessment kit in early intervention. What is so important about stacking 1 inch cubes?? Is it really important that a toddler is able to stack a tower of these tiny blocks?? Should you actually teach a child to do this? My answer to this last question is NO. Here’s why.

Stacking …

When you walk in the door to a family’s home, who is the focus of your visit? Who are you there to work with?

These might seem like two very straight-forward questions, but think about them for a moment. The early intervention world revolves around the infant or toddler with the developmental delay or disability, the little person …

You meet the family of a newborn baby girl who has just been diagnosed with Down syndrome. You ask the baby’s father about how his daughter is doing and he replies that he doesn’t have any concerns because she’s perfect just how she is. He says he thinks she’ll be just fine. His wife fidgets as …

A new student walks into your office and sits down on the first day of her practicum. You begin your orientation about your program, starting with an overview of early intervention. You start by discussing Part C of IDEA and about halfway through your explanation, the student politely interrupts and asks…”What’s Part C again?” Yikes.

If you are student …

Rule of thumb…never bring a xylophone to an intervention visit when there are siblings in the mix.

This was one of my biggest rules when I was working in EI and still lugging around a toy bag. Ages ago I had a visit where I brought the xylophone along and the preschool-aged brother of the child …

You’ve been in a home working with a family for about 15 minutes when the child’s older brother walks into the room, sneezes on you, and sits on your lap. The child feels like he has a fever, has very runny nose and is coughing. The mother tells you that he’s been sick since yesterday and …

How many times has this happened to you? You arrive for your EI visit to a family’s home and find that the large screen TV is on and a favorite show is airing. Perhaps it is a beloved cartoon for the child, or maybe it is the mother’s favorite talk show host. Is the father …

I typically start my early intervention sessions by asking the family to “brag” about what is new and exciting in their child’s life. Usually, the family will also bring up what activities are challenging for them. If not, I will ask the family what are their concerns? Admittedly, these concerns are more child-focused and less …

Ask any 3 families what bathtime is like for their child, and you’ll get 3 different responses. For one family, bathtime might be a long, fun, wet playtime each night for the parent and child. For another, it might be a very busy time of bathing 3 young children, getting them in and out of …

You Sat in a Wet Spot Again…What Do You Do?

Put Away the 1 inch Cubes!

Who is the Focus of your Visit? – Adult Learning & Early Intervention

I Don’t Have Any Concerns Because She’s Perfect How She Is…What Do You Do?

DOs and DON’Ts – Mentoring Students in EI Programs

Adding Siblings to the Intervention Mix

You’re on a Visit and the Children are Sick…What Do You Do?

Can You Compete with Dr. Phil?

Promoting Family-Centered Practice Through the Use of the Life Participation for Parents (LPP) Questionnaire

7 Specific Questions to Ask When Exploring Family Routines

It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See You Later!

Supporting Social and Emotional Development: What ALL Early Interventionists Can Do!

Baskin Robbins: How Do I Decide?

Get the Backstory: Validating and Valuing Family Input

EI Awareness Month in VA – The Power of Family Stories

Resource Alert! – Check Out the New Transition Learning Path

The Unspoken Realities of Child Abuse during a Pandemic

Successfully Engaging Caregivers in the Child Outcomes Summary Process Virtually

Call to Action! Service Coordination and Early Intervention – DEC/ITCA Position Statement