Sharing What Works in Supporting Infants & Toddlers and the Families in Early Intervention
Sofia just coordinated the worst assessment ever. With her head spinning, she takes a moment in her car to reflect on just what went wrong so that she can prevent it from happening again. In a nutshell, here’s what happened:
Sofia had originally met with Max’s father for the intake, who had planned to attend the assessment …
In September and October, we hosted a Talks on Tuesdays webinar series entitled, Getting from Here to There: Navigating the Transition from Part C to Part B. This series of two webinars focused on guidance for transition from early intervention (Part C) to early childhood special education (Part B). Presenters shared information about transition procedures, practical experiences and strategies …
I have to admit…talking about financial stuff was one of the most uncomfortable parts of my job as a service coordinator. Asking families about their income and even their tax information to assess their ability to pay for EI services…not fun for me or them. As with many aspects of service coordination, I found that …
EI…IFSP…eligibility determination…Part C…outcomes…Part B…huh? Oral motor…abduction…sensory processing…cognition…what???
Okay, so it’s quite clear that we have our own language in early intervention. We have our own lingo (PDF, New Window) and our own technical jargon, and we are quite fluent in our language. This is normal for many fields, right? What may be different for us, though, is …
On a given day, you might have anywhere from 2-6 visits with families. If you step back and reflect, how do these visits typically work? There may be a similar way you begin or end your visits. You may find yourself conducting visits in the same parts of the home across visits or asking similar questions …
Last week, our May Talks on Tuesdays webinar presenter, Jeannie Odachowski, presented about Approaching Families About Early Mental Health Care. Something she said really stuck with me and I’m still thinking about it over a week later. She talked about “wondering” with families – encouraging service providers to wonder with the parent about why the …
As you get to know Jackie, Teddy’s mother, you learn that she has very high expectations for her son. She expects him to feed himself without getting messy, sit during children’s church on Wednesday and Sunday, and begin potty training – but Teddy is only 19 months old. He’s just learned to walk a few …
Pop Quiz: What is the activity that families report in the literature as the most helpful thing that happens on EI visits?
Answer: Problem-solving
Are you surprised? It makes so much sense when you think about how much you talk with families about their challenges – teaching the 18 month old to sit in the grocery chart, understanding a …
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 …
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 …
