Joey is 25 months old. He was referred to his local early intervention intake coordinator by his parents secondary to their concerns about his intelligibility and inability to effectively communicate his needs or wants. They reported that he uses approximately 15 words but “talks in such a garbled manner” that both parents and Joey’s older …
Address the Language: The Speech will Follow!
Watch Me! – Using Modeling as a Caregiver Teaching Tool
Lynn meets Devon and his mother, Janae, at the grocery store for their visit this week. When she arrives, she finds them trying to walk into the store. They are struggling because Devon is having a tantrum and Janae is trying to carry him while he kicks and screams. Lynn goes up to them and asks if …
Mommy is Asleep and the Children are Alone…What Do You Do?
You arrive at the family’s home and knock on the door. After several minutes, the door slowly opens and you look down to see a preschooler’s face. You ask her, “Is your mommy here?”
She answers, “She’s asleep.” You ask, “Is there another grown-up here with you?” and she shakes her head “no.” You look past …
Supporting Toddlers with Autism by Changing OUR Behavior
Today I want to share someone else’s blog post that just wow’ed me. Before you read what I write, read this short post by Lisa Reyes: Someone Asked My Son with Autism Why Eye Contact Is Hard. This Was His Answer.
As I read Phillip’s answer, I kept thinking what if we approached toddlers with this in …
Fall in Love with Your Job All Over Again
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. So how does that pertain to your job as an early interventionist?
The life of an early interventionist is packed with conducting assessments and developing IFSPs, managing lots of paperwork, and traveling here and yon all over the countryside for visits with children and families. PHEW! It makes me …
Adult Learning Principle #4: Practicing Intervention Strategies in Real-Time
Think about it. How did you learn to drive? Sure, you read the driving manual, went to a driver’s ed class, and you probably talked about driving a lot. Before getting behind the wheel, you’d observed people driving for years. Was reading, talking about the new skill, and observing someone doing it enough to prepare …
“Can You Stay a Few Extra Minutes?”…What Do You Do?
With 3 minutes left to the visit, Mikaela’s mother, Delia, asks “Can you stay a few extra minutes today?” She says she really needs your advice. Yesterday, the child care center director called because Mikaela bit another child. They threatened to expel Mikaela and Delia isn’t sure what to do. You pause because you know that your next …
Liam’s Mom Asks You to Stop by the Grocery Store…What Do You Do?
This really happened to me: Before heading out the door, I received a call from a mother whom I’d be seeing in about an hour. She asked if I could stop by the grocery store to pick up milk and diapers. She had no transportation and lived deep in the woods in a very rural …
Preaching to the Choir about Early Screening Resources – Spread the Word!
Meet Chris – He and his family have moved 7 times since he was born and are now staying with friends. Chris was referred to your program by his mother at the suggestion of her friend’s mom. The referral said that Chris was 29 months old and not walking. When you arrive for the screening, you see …
Twins & Siblings: Supporting Families of Multiples
A set of new referrals comes across your desk: two children in the same family. Twins! Wow, you think…twice the paperwork, twice the visits, twice the fun. The funny thing is that you probably wouldn’t have balked if you’d just gotten two referrals about children from different families. Why is it that multiples in the same …