Tyler is 20 months old and instead of playing with his toys or using his spoon to feed himself, he quickly throws them as soon as he picks them up. Tyler’s parents tell you that it’s really hard to manage during playdates or when they go out to eat. Tyler also rarely stays still to …
Look Out! – Helping Toddlers Move Beyond Throwing
Adult Learning Principle #2: Linking New Learning to Prior Knowledge
If we think about the best way to make the biggest difference in a child’s development, it makes sense that we will be most effective by working through the child’s most familiar people. Those familiar people, parents and caregivers, are the key to success. Positively impacting the child’s development is the reason for early intervention …
Basic Needs Come First…Early Intervention Comes Second
Imagine that, without warning, you lost your job. Without your paycheck, you’ve gotten more and more behind on paying rent until you’re served with an eviction notice. You have two more days until you must leave your apartment and you don’t have enough money for a deposit on a new one. You have no family …
A Provider Offers to Babysit…What Do You Do?
We’ve written about professional boundaries several times from the perspective of how to maintain your own boundaries when working so closely with families. Here’s a twist…how do you manage boundary issues when you see them happening between a colleague and a family? Let’s consider an example.
The Babysitter
Alexis has been working with Enzi’s family for almost a …
EI Research to Practice Brief #4 – Participation-based Practices Result in More Engaged Children and Caregivers
Where are your practices on the traditional vs. participation-based continuum?
Wherever you are on the continuum, take some time to examine the similarities and differences between the two interventions, reflect on your own practices, and plan for how to evolve your work to a more evidence-based approach. This brief provides a summary of research by Campbell …
What If You Didn’t PLAY with Toys on Your Next Visit?
Dustin has been collaborating with Mandy’s family for about 3 months. He typically visits with Mandy’s grandmother every Tuesday at 10am and they play in the living room. Dustin has been doing well with transitioning from bringing toys to the home to using Mandy’s toys. He’s also worked very hard to include Mandy’s grandmother in …
The Parent says “You’re the expert. You tell me.” – What Do You Do?
At the initial IFSP meeting, Amada’s parents listen quietly as the other team members discuss their daughter’s development with them. Amada’s parents have been relatively quiet during the IFSP meeting, offering little input so far. They agree with any suggestions that other team members have. When asked about what goals they have for their daughter, they …
Do’s & Don’ts for Managing an Unclean Environment
Visiting all kinds of environments is one of the things that I’ve always loved about early intervention. No two days or two visits are ever the same. Along with this flexibility comes the unpredictable nature of the environments in which we find ourselves. You can easily drive from one home that is pristine to another …
Letting It Go…Role Release and Why It Can Be Hard
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…
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 …