Several years ago, I found that my EI caseload included a couple of families with stay-at-home dads. This was a first for me, and I found myself struggling to connect with family caregivers, which hadn’t happened to me since I was new to the field.  Both men were quite nice, but I stumbled when I tried to make conversation to build rapport.  What did I have in common with these men? With moms, I could build rapport around so many shared experiences being moms and women.   One dad was a former football player and the other was a fitness expert.  My idea of working out was to walk from the couch to the bookshelf. 

So, I did what I always do when I’m unsure- I read and researched.  I searched and searched for good information on working with dads.  I found almost nothing except for a few articles on how men and women communicate differently.  I had to muddle through mostly on my own, but we all made it through together.  These experiences helped shaped my later academic research. 

3 Key Strategies for Building Relationships with Dads

Here are some of the key strategies I used to build successful relationships with dads.

Talk side to side rather than face to face.

I can’t remember the source anymore, but the one tip I did garner from searching for books and articles was that men are socialized to talk with each other and others while they are engaged in a task or standing side by side, while woman are socialized to look at each other while talking. This strategy was immediately helpful! When the fitness expert dad offered to make me a fancy coffee, I took that opportunity of having his back to me to ask some deeper questions about what his hopes for his daughter were and what he wanted from EI.  It worked! This became part of our weekly routine.  He would make me a fancy coffee and I would use this time while he wasn’t looking at me to chat and build rapport.  With the other dad, I started positioning my body angled from him instead of looking directly at him.  This also worked immediately.  He opened up a little more when we weren’t looking directly at each other and I realized we could connect over our similar senses of humor.  He hasn’t been a client in years, but our relationship became strong enough that he sends updates on his son’s progress several times a year. 

Explicitly invite dads into therapeutic activities.

I learned to do this based on anecdotes from my own work in EI and the dads in my research verified it’s really important.  Many dads aren’t sure about what EI is supposed to be, especially if they aren’t the primary caregivers of their children. They hang back and watch or wait for their wife or partner to give them a summary of what happened.  Extend a direct invitation by saying, “Hey, we’re going to work on motor skills.  Come on over and help me make an obstacle course with the couch cushions” or “One of our outcomes that your kiddo can communicate her wants and needs.  Let’s take her in the kitchen and work on some strategies to get her communicating for snack time.” This signals that the dad is an important part of what’s happening and that you want him to participate. 

Be really clear about what you are doing and why.  Provide this information in writing, too.

Both the dads I worked with and the dads in my research wanted clear explanations of why their EI providers were giving them and their children specific tasks.  They wanted to know exactly how doing an obstacle course was related to motor development or how giving a choice of two items at snack time helped with communication development. For many of EI providers this information is so much a part of what we do, that we don’t think to explain the connection.  The dads in my research didn’t always feel comfortable asking providers these questions or they asked the questions but didn’t remember the answers after the provider left.  Make sure to provide written explanations that address the what and the why.  Remember, a quick text (if allowed by your program) counts as being in writing (just make sure you send it to mom AND dad).

Have you tried any of these strategies? Have one we haven’t thought of? Or maybe want some advice about a tricky situation with a dad?

Leave a comment and let us know!

For more information about working with dads, you can check out the Dads Matter! Webinar Series (external website) on the VA Early Intervention Professional Development Center (external website) site. Scroll down on the page to find both archived webinars.  

Megan has over a decade of experience working with fathers as an early intervention developmental specialist. Currently, she is an assistant professor at Salem State University, where she teaches future early interventionists and researches dads’ experiences working with early intervention programs. Megan lives in Salem, MA, with her husband, daughter, and two exceptionally naughty cats.

The post 3 Key Strategies for Building Relationships with Dads appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Access the new module on the VA eLearning Center site: Child Development

Have you heard the good news? An all new, highly interactive Child Development module was recently launched through the VEIPD team. The module follows two children, Alejandro and Lydia, as they grow and develop from birth to thirty-six months. With a particular emphasis on the importance of relationships, routines and activities, and natural learning opportunities, learners see Lydia and Alejandro within the context of their families. The interrelatedness of nature, nurture, genetics, and environment is fully explored. Recognition of the importance of the children and their families within their support systems and communities is also emphasized.

Divided into eight chapters averaging about fifteen minutes in length, the module features a foundational knowledge of child development. Each chapter contains a variety of learning aids including brief videos and short articles. Especially helpful, every chapter also includes a downloadable handout for each developmental phase that highlights typical developmental milestones across multiple domains, emphasizing the whole child.

So let’s see – how could YOU use the Child Development module?

New Early Interventionists
If you are a new (or soon-to-be) early interventionist in Virginia, this module is one of the required certification modules that you will take to receive early intervention certification. Regardless of your role as therapist, service coordinator, local system manager, etc., the foundational information will support your work with infants, toddlers, and their families. The topics will help you to think about the importance of development, potential delays, and family-centered practices when considering IFSP outcomes and service implementation.

Veteran Early Interventionists
Perhaps you are a veteran early interventionist who has observed this phenomenon—the longer you do assessments on infants and toddlers who have developmental delays, the more you think that children with ‘typical development’ are exceptionally bright, even gifted. Sometimes our perceptions become skewed. This module on typical child development could be a good refresher to help you re-align those perceptions.

Faculty
How about faculty members? We know just how crammed it can be trying to fit all of the required course content into various early childhood special education and early childhood education programs. This module could support your students with the basics, including attractive, resource handouts for quick reference and future use.

Other Agencies
And if you are joining us from a community agency such as Early Head Start, childcare agencies, or home visiting programs, this module is for you, too! We frequently get requests to provide foundational child development staff training, With a total time of approximately two hours, loads of resources, quick learning checks following each chapter, and a full module quiz with certificate of completion, staff can take the module at a convenient time at their own pace.

We are excited to share this new resource with you. It is our hope that regardless of your role supporting infants and toddlers, birth to age three, and their families, you will find the new Child Development module helpful.

Have you used the new Child Development module?

Share with us your roll and what aspects of the module you found most useful in the comments below.

Instructions to access the module: Visit the VA Early Intervention eLearning Center. Scroll down to find: Initial Certification (Required for all Virginia EI Practitioners). Look for the Child Development module in the list. You will need to create an account in order to access the module.

The post Drumroll Please: Introducing the All New Child Development Module appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

We are at the end of our discussion on the levels of awareness of parent of young children with disabilities. We have explored the ostrich phase – a time when a parent has a lack of awareness about disabilities and may not recognize the characteristics of a disability displayed by his or her child. Additionally, we have examined the phase of special designation – the stage at which parents have, through some transformational experience, recognized that their child indeed has a disability, and will require some additional assistance from a service provider to maximize his or her personal potential. Last month, we reviewed the normalization phase when a parent minimizes differences between the child and his or her typically developing classmates and siblings.

Fourth Level of Awareness: Self-Actualization

Today, we are going to explore a parent’s fourth and final level of awareness – Self-Actualization. In this level of awareness, a parent fully recognizes that his or her child with disabilities need supports. Not only does a parent at this level recognize the need for support, but by this time in a parent’s journey, based on the experience of raising and loving the child, the parent has his or her own perspectives on how these needs should be met.

During the time of parenting their child with disabilities, the parent has developed an expertise on a subject – his or her child.

Parents of children with disabilities have been described as practical scientists, and co-therapists, who take an active role in educating and raising their children while becoming skilled at selecting appropriate interventions. Parents may not have the fancy words that you as an early intervention professional have based on your knowledge of the content. However, they are doing some of the same things that you are doing in your practice at home. The interventions just look a little differently.

A self-actualized parent is ready to exercise his or her role as your partner in moving the child’s growth and development forward. And at this point of development, the parent is incapable of being a silent parent. The self-actualized parent is vocal and active. At times, the strong opinion and confidence that develop during and after the self-actualization phase can be met with a bit of resistance from service providers. However, this new found parental authority, when discussing the needs of the child, should be met with a listening ear and an open heart. The parent is now fully capable of exercising and expressing expertise regarding who his or her child is and what the child needs.

The Magic is About to Happen!

As early interventionists, you are in a help-giving profession. Thus, you want to ensure that you are offering families help that is relevant to the family’s needs

How can you achieve that goal?

By listening to your partner – the parent.

The phase of self-actualization is a reflective space. The parent has had the opportunity to think about the child, think about his or her parenting, think about what he or she feels will be the best way forward for the child and family. The self-actualized parent is ready and fully expects to be your partner.

However, this partnership will require a respectful reciprocal relationship between you and the parent.

True Partnerships are Comprised of Two Equals

You can’t be in partnership if, as the service provider, you walk into the relationship and take the lead. That’s not a partnership. The parent is asked to follow your lead in that situation. However, if the relationship is approached with the understanding that you are the expert on the professional knowledge and the parent is the expert on the child and how the disability manifests itself in the child, you can begin to respect and acknowledge the parent as a true partner.

Also, it is critical to remember that, as early interventionists, the goal is to improve children’s outcome. Therefore, you want to empower and enable parents, because no matter how great of a service provider you are or how much you love a child, your time with that child will expire. Parents and caregivers are forever. So, take this time to strengthen your partner.

Therefore, instead of striving to have a parent say you were best service provider the child ever had, you want a parent to say, “While working Ms. Angela, I learned strategies that I use with Molly to this day.”

That self-actualized parent is primed to receive the knowledge you have to give. However, self-actualized parents require and expect that you recognize and accept the knowledge and input they have to offer, as well.

This Child is Their LIFE!

These parents have now fully owned their role as parents of a child with disabilities. They are no longer in a state of not knowing. They are no longer looking for someone to “fix” their child. They are no longer comparing their child to other children.

They just see their most precious child – uniquely different, but not less than.

Unfortunately, as professionals who works with young children and their families, you may not witness a parent move through all of these levels of awareness during your time with a family. However, you must trust the process, not rush the process. And remember a parent’s time of being a parent is 22 years +. And just like the children you serve, parents too take time to develop.

When you commit the time to truly partnering with a parent and assist in that parent’s development as a parent of a child with disabilities, your legacy lives on in that family forever. You become the gift that keeps on giving.

So, be the gift that keeps on giving! We’re counting on YOU!

Have you had the opportunity to partner with a parent who you believed reach the self-actualization phase of awareness?

How did that experience compare to partnering with parent in the ostrich, special designation, or normalization phases?

Check out El’s archived webinar: Mama Bear: Using Parent Narratives and Experience to Improve Engagement Practices

Be sure to read the other posts in this series:

Emerging Parenthood: Trust the Process – Don’t Rush the Process

Levels of Awareness: The Ostrich Phase

Special Designation: The Parent’s Aha Moment

Normalization – The Hope Phase

El is an educator, entrepreneur, author, and PhD candidate specializing in Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education at George Mason University. Prior to leaving the traditional classroom, El served as an Elementary and Early Childhood Educator in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. She is the founder of KinderJam, an Early Childhood Education care, enrichment, and training agency. Above all, El is the proud mother of an 11-year-old son on the autism spectrum, affectionately known as SuperDuperKid (SDK). El can be reached at elbrown@kinderjam.com.

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Drew Dudley believes every person has changed someone’s life not by doing something extraordinary but rather through the everyday simple actions of being a leader. These actions can be so small a person may not even recall it in his or her memory. Mr. Dudley presents this inspiring Ted Talk on everyday leadership.

Take 6 minutes to hear his story:

“We have made leadership something bigger than us.”

Drew Dudley is right. If we relate leadership to only changing the world, maybe we need to redefine it. Drew Dudley worries “sometimes we spend so much time celebrating amazing things that hardly anybody can do, that we’ve convinced ourselves those are the only things worth celebrating.” The truth is there are moments that occur every day that define you as a true leader. Awareness and intention to understand the power of our own light can help us recognize what Mr. Dudley calls “lollipop moments.” Those moments are what makes us leaders.

“A lollipop moment is a moment someone said something and did something that made your life fundamentally better.”

Take a moment to pause and reflect on this statement. Who has impacted your life by simply saying or doing something? How have you impacted others?

It’s possible we do not always realize the power of our own words and actions in everyday moments. One day, I remember I was leaving the soccer field. A mother approached me and asked if I remembered her. She looked very familiar and then I recalled working with the family in early intervention. This mother gave me an update on her child and thanked me for supporting them. She told me she often thinks of the impact I made on them by providing the foundation for her, her husband and grandparents to help her son continue to grow in his journey. Wow! I was speechless. I did not realize the power of my influence on this family.

These are moments we have all experienced and never realized it……..a lollipop moment. This mother just found an opportunity to thank me for it.

Drew Dudley challenges us to “redefine leadership about lollipop moments. How many we create? How many we acknowledge? How many of them we pay forward? How many we say thank you for?” I am accepting this challenge and will remain aware of the opportunities to create lollipop moments with families. I will acknowledge the power I hold as a leader. I will model characteristics of a great leader daily during my visits and when working with my team members. I will thank others when they say or do something that impacts change in my life.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. -Marianne Williamson

Please feel free to share your own lollipop moment when someone has impacted your life or thanked you for impacting their life.

What were your first thoughts after watching this video?

The post Everyday Leadership: Redefining Leadership in Lollipop Moments appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

You know the feeling…wishing you could speak the family’s language so you can build that strong relationship that’s so important in early intervention (EI). It can be challenging to coach a family when you have a language barrier, but a good interpreter can help you overcome that challenge. I recently met a new colleague with a background in language interpretation who told me that a sign of a good interpreter is when he/she is “invisible.” This really made an impression on me because when you think about it, the interpreter offers a bridge for communication and in his/her role, is invisible as an outside contributor to the interaction. The interpreter should be sure that the people on either side of the bridge fully understand each other without adding extraneous information or taking over the interaction. Understandably, that must be hard for the interpreter, but remaining that invisible bridge is important so that he/she doesn’t actually end up being a roadblock in the relationship-building between the family and the interventionist.

VIDEO: Collaborating with Language Interpreters – Information for Home Visitors

Take 5 minutes and watch this video:

One of my favorite phrases from this video is: Add nothing, omit nothing, change nothing. I like this phrase because I think this is what early interventionists want. We want to know exactly what the parent said and we want the parent to know exactly what we said. Yes, the actual words interpreted may change to ensure the meaning is conveyed, but that’s okay. It is when information is added, omitted, or changed that the relationship is affected. Here are some of the other key take-aways from the video that can have a positive effect on building the interventionist-parent relationship:

Speak with the interpreter before the visit – Get to know each other and explain what will happen on the visit. Review the purpose of the meeting and roles during the meeting. Share any guidelines from your program for how to work together.

Allow for additional time – Be patient and plan ahead so you have enough time for the extra communication involved.

Sit in a triangle – You should face the parent, and the interpreter should sit so he/she can see and speak with both you and the parent.

Always look at and speak directly to the parent – This is often the hardest one for interventionists. It can feel a bit awkward, but you should be sure to look at the parent when you speak to him/her. Remember the invisible bridge. If you speak and look directly at the interpreter, he/she is no longer invisible.

Keep it short and remember to pause – This one is also hard because shortening your sentences and remembering to pause may not be how you normally talk. It can take some getting used to and requires a mindful approach to communication, but makes it easier for the interpreter to accurately share everything you say.

Collaborating with the interpreter as an invisible bridge takes its own relationship-building, between you and the interpreter. Once that relationship is established, you will have a wonderful resource and partner who is essential in helping you help families.

What strategies do you use to build relationships with families when collaborating with a language interpreter? 

What are your thoughts on the idea of the interpreter being an invisible bridge?

Share your comments below!

For information you can share with interpreters, visit the VEIPD Cultural Competence topic page and look under the Handouts/Documents tab for links to Resources for Interpreters Working in Early Intervention (EITP, University of Illinois).

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Think about the following perspectives during the Assessment for Service Planning and IFSP development process:

Team Members Arrive

SC: I arrive to facilitate the assessment for service planning and IFSP development for Jacoby. I meet Franklin, occupational therapist, and Maria, developmental specialist. We all walk in and I introduce Marilyn and Kevin (Jacoby’s mother and father) to Franklin and Maria.

Family: I open the door and immediately feel intimidated and outnumbered as Tamira, our service coordinator, walks in with two other people. She introduces them, but I already forgot their name and discipline. I am not even sure what they do exactly.

Assessment

SC: I begin to explain what to expect over the next couple of hours. I update the team and check in with the Marilyn and Kevin on any new updates or concerns. Franklin and Maria begin the assessment for service planning, engaging Marilyn and Kevin in questions and Jacoby in play. This is going to take a long time. Jacoby keeps running away. I have a lot of paperwork to get signed and we still need to develop the IFSP.

Family: Jacoby runs away the moment he sees everyone. I hope he cooperates throughout the visit. I am feeling anxious about what to expect. They are asking us a lot of questions. Maybe I should have been paying more attention to Jacoby because I do not know all the answers. I really wish Jacoby would sit down and play with them. He is getting fussy. I bet he wants a snack. I guess he will have to wait.

IFSP Development

SC: I facilitate the IFSP development. When we begin to write outcomes, I begin the discussion by asking Marilyn and Kevin, “What would you like to see Jacoby doing?” 

Family: Jacoby is really becoming upset right now. They are the experts. Just tell me what to do.

Remember the Family Perspective

Assessment for service planning and IFSP development are complex processes which require several tasks be completed by the EI team (including the family). Juggling these tasks can lead all team members to feel some level of stress or anxiety. Parents may feel unsure about what to expect. They may also feel anxious about how to manage their child’s participation and care during the meeting. Marilyn and Kevin were hoping to find answers, support, and future guidance on how to help Jacoby. Tamira, Franklin, and Maria have set tasks to complete during this time and are hoping to complete everything in a timely manner. How can Tamira, Franklin, and Maria provide support to Marilyn and Kevin during this time? Here are some easy tips to support parents.

Be mindful. Before going in the home, take a couple deep breaths and reflect on what this visit means to the family. It can be easy to forget about the parents’ perspective. Remember, the words and actions within each family interaction can impact their perspective of early intervention. Remain aware of feelings that lose focus on the family such as thinking, “I need to hurry before my next visit.” Hurrying may make parents feel unimportant and unheard. Mindfulness allows professionals to be conscious of the caregiver’s feelings and needs.

Check-in periodically with families. Throughout the process, pay attention to the caregiver’s nonverbal cues. Check-in to see if they need a break or have any questions. Caregivers may need a moment to feed their child, change their child’s diaper, use the restroom, or simply step away to quietly process all of the information given. Caregivers may feel like they will interrupt the process. Let caregivers know it is okay to take a break if needed.

Explain. Explain. Explain. Explain what you are doing and why you are doing it. Try not to use acronyms or jargon that may be unfamiliar to the family. Read a caregiver’s nonverbal cues while you explain to see if you need to pause and check for understanding.

In the scenario above, Kevin and Marilyn are experiencing an array of emotions. They are looking to the early interventionists for guidance and understanding. Tamira, Franklin, and Maria can support the family by being mindful, checking in with them, and explaining the process to alleviate some of the family’s worries.

How do you stay focused and present during your interactions with families? 

What are some strategies you use to check-in with families?

What could Tamira, Franklin, and/or Maria do to ease Kevin and Marilyn’s worries throughout the visit?

What other tips would you add to support families?

Add your tips and strategies to the comments below!

The post Don’t Forget the Family’s Perspective appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

On the blog, we often speak from the perspective of the EI professional. Switching up this “voice” a bit is not only fun, but it may help us understand more about the culture of some of our families. The tips I will share are from the millennial parent’s viewpoint in hopes of using their interpretation to help us reach them more effectively. As an Early Intervention professional of 10 years, an Educator to teens and an individual born sandwiched in the middle of the Millennials and the Generation-X’ers, I must say that the two groups communicate completely differently from one another. At times, without proper insight, it can cause a bit of frustration among both groups. Understanding the “why” behind some of the cultural variances is the foundation to building great, impactful relationships. Due to my unique perspective, I’ve noted 11 Things a Millennial Parent Wished a Generation-X EI Provider Knew.

My List

1. Sorry to make you feel uncomfortable but texting me is best. If you want to reach me, text first, email next, call last. I’m more apt to respond.

2. When explaining EI, connect coaching with something that I’m interested in such as sports. It’s more likely to stick.

3. I learn a lot by demonstration. Watching YouTube videos have taught me to watch first then imitate what I see. Use the media to your advantage.

4. Show me child friendly apps to help my little one learn. Because we are often on the phone and tablet, what better way to coach me than to use apps that are readily available.

5. Help me to write goals to include mention of my favorite shows, apps or songs. My little one is often inundated with my culture so barking like a dog because we use the snapchat lens/filter is right up my alley.

6. If you arrive and I’m texting, know that I have mastered multi-tasking. Don’t get offended, I’m not ignoring you.

7. Remind me to put our next appointment in my phone as an alarm or reminder. Writing on the back of a card or on a piece of paper is so outdated.

8. I’m very relaxed so coming in with suits may make me feel uncomfortable. It will be harder to build a coaching relationship with you because now I look at you as an authority figure. Relax, I’ll receive you better this way.

9. Video me suggestions or even send me website or app links like this one from the CDC . I’m sure to use them. It’s even fun to engage me with one during our session. Coaching me this way is fun. I look at visual apps all day so this is definitely speaking my language.

10. If I send you a social media request, take it as a compliment. I must really like you. Don’t ignore it because it effects rapport. Instead let me know your policy. I’ll understand.

11. My communication is often short and to the point. It doesn’t mean I’m not engaged or interested in our dialogue but texting has taught me not to participate in much small talk.

I hope this blog post helps all of us understand Millennials and how they communicate. Let me know if you believe these tips were helpful. If you have any other advice to add from the perspective of a Millennial or you’ve provided services to this generation and believe you have some great information to share, I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts below!

Tier-ra Henry is a spunky millennial who has provided Developmental Services with ITC of Hampton-Newport News for 7 1/2 years. She got her start as a Service Coordinator with Norfolk ITC but after drooling over the fun, creative things the therapist did with the kiddos, she made a switch to serve her hometown with more direct services. She is the mother of an AMAZING 11 year old up-and-coming actress. You can find Tier-ra in the city with her trendy clothes, serving her community and building a strong rapport with families while making learning super fun. In her spare time she is a Personal Stylist. She is a strong advocate for families and believes her job as a Developmental Service Provider allows her to use her heart for social justice and creativity to serve children. She holds a Bachelors of Social Work degree from Norfolk State University.

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Teaming and collaboration are what we DO, right? We use teaming practices everyday as we connect with other professional team members to support the family in achieving their goals for their child. We understand that we’ll do our best work when we collaborate with caregivers as equal team members, valuing their perspectives and priorities on every aspect of the EI process. We know this because we do it everyday, but it’s important to consider that families might not know how to participate on the EI team. They might not know how they fit in. When we explain the EI process, we need to make sure that our words reflect the importance of a collaborative approach so that all team members, including the family, know what to expect and what to do.

Embedding the DEC Recommended Practices in How We Explain EI

Let’s check in with the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices (RPs) on Teaming and Collaboration to see how we can connect each practice to what we say:

TC1. Practitioners representing multiple disciplines and families work together as a team to plan and implement supports and services to meet the unique needs of each child and family.

When explaining how EI works, we can say: Early intervention uses a team approach, which means that each child has a team of people available to support his/her development. This team includes you (the parent), the service coordinator, and a service provider (like a speech therapist, developmental service provider, etc.). We are all equal partners and will work closely together to help you help your child meet the goals that are important to your family.

TC2. Practitioners and families work together as a team to systematically and regularly exchange expertise, knowledge, and information to build team capacity and jointly solve problems, plan, and implement interventions.

When explaining EI service delivery, we can say: We’ll all work together to share ideas and information and come up with intervention strategies you can use to encourage your child’s development everyday. During visits, your service provider will work alongside you as you practice using strategies with your child to help him/her learn to… We’ll problem-solve and plan together so that you feel comfortable using strategies between visits too. The purpose of the EI team is really to support you. 

TC3. Practitioners use communication and group facilitation strategies to enhance team functioning and interpersonal relationships with and among team members.

You can use this practice to explain how the IFSP meeting works: When we meet to develop the Individualized Family Service Plan (or IFSP), we’d like to hear from you about what you’d like your child to be able to do – your goals for your child. Then, we’ll have a conversation as a team about service options. You are a part of this decision-making process, so feel free to share your thoughts with the other team members about what you’d like to see, how often you’d like to have the provider visit, and where you’d like visits to happen.

TC4. Team members assist each other to discover and access community-based services and other informal and formal resources to meet family-identified child or family needs.

When explaining service coordination, we can say: Your service coordinator collaborates with everyone on the team to make sure that early intervention is meeting your child’s and family’s needs. Feel free to let us know if there is something you need or your child needs and we can work together to find resources that can help. 

TC5. Practitioners and families may collaborate with each other to identify one practitioner from the team who serves as the primary liaison between the family and other team members based on child and family priorities and needs.

If a child and family will receive more than service, one team member might be chosen to keep the rest of the team informed about child and family needs and progress. For example, let’s say that a child will receive physical therapy weekly, and developmental services monthly. You might explain it to the family this way: Since the PT will be meeting with you more frequently, he will let other team members know when your child makes progress (so we can all celebrate), when a new need or question pops up (so we can work together to address it), and when we need to meet to discuss changes to the plan. He can also make sure you are comfortable using intervention strategies suggested by the developmental specialist, and if there are questions, he can problem-solve with her to come up with alternatives that work better. You’re always welcome to call/text any other team member too. The PT will just make sure everyone is aware of how things are going. The service coordinator helps team members collaborate too.

When you explain these processes, you might use different wording, and that’s okay. Take a moment, though, and check in with yourself. Listen to yourself over the next week and make sure that what you say reflects these practices. Our words have power, so it’s important to make sure that when we explain what we do, we are helping all team members, including the family, understand the value of teaming and collaboration in early intervention.

How do you explain the EI team to families? To other service providers?

If you could make one important point about teaming and collaboration, what would it be?

To read more about how to implement other DEC Recommended Practices, be sure to check out the rest of this series by searching for “DEC Recommended Practices” using the search feature at the top of the page.

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Ever had one of those experiences where you realize that, while you think you did your best, you completely forgot what you were supposed to do? Ever had that experience on an intervention visit?

I had that experience recently…I was on a first visit with a family and was planning to set the stage for how we would work together. I was going to talk about what good early intervention looks like and how we would work together doing things the family naturally does or would like to do. I was going to stay firmly planted in my role as a consultant and coach for the parent. But, before I knew it, I was instead firmly planted on the floor by an adorable, funny toddler who was pulling out all of her tricks to get me to interact with her. After a few minutes (okay, more than a few), I realized that I was in the lead, the parent was watching, and I had gone off track. I relocated back to the couch and re-engaged the parent, and yet, before I knew it, I was up playing another game with the child. I just kept getting pulled in. In fact, I felt pulled in two directions and both of them were worthy. After the visit, I got in my car and realized that I felt like I had completely forgotten what I intended to do on the visit, which was focus on the parent-child interactions.

Was What I Did Wrong?

So that’s the question that came up for me…was what I did wrong? By spending time engaging the child, did I break the code of evidence-based early intervention, which focuses on supporting parents and children during their interactions in the context of their routines and activities? Honestly, I don’t think so, but what I did probably wasn’t the best way to help the parent know how to use intervention strategies with her child when I wasn’t there. Yes, she watched…yes, she talked about how she could use the strategies during the day…and yes, we developed a joint plan. What I could have done much better was remember to offer her the opportunity to practice using the strategy with her child. That was what I forgot.

So the more I reflected, the more I realized that I’m not sure that we were ready for the practice piece. It was a first visit and we were still getting to know each other. Even if I had remembered and offered practice opportunities, I’m not sure that she would have been comfortable yet. In typing that, I realized that it sounds like an excuse…well, she wasn’t ready so we didn’t do it. No – that is my assumption and it could be incorrect. I did not offer her the chance to try to strategy so how did I really know whether or not she was ready? Just thinking through that reminds me of what I’ve heard so many parent advocates say: “Don’t make decisions about what we need or what we want to do. Give us the information, provide the opportunities, and let us decide.” That was where I goofed.

Developing the Partnership that Facilitates the Practice

I do think that the close partnership between an early interventionist and a parent takes time to develop. Offering the parent the opportunity to take the lead, be observed, receive feedback, and decide which strategies he/she wants to use are activities that don’t need to wait until we have a certain level of rapport built. However, I think understanding that as the relationship builds, BOTH of us will feel more comfortable in our roles and those easy back-and-forth interactions of reflection, practice, and feedback should happen more fluidly. It has to start somewhere, though, and if I don’t remember my role in facilitating it, it may not happen. I set the tone of the visit, and I want that tone to be that I am there to support the family, not to just play with and teach the child.

Reflection is hard, but we don’t have to be hard on ourselves. I’ll go into the next visit with a greater awareness of what I need to do and how I hope to help the family. Yes, I’ll still likely get pulled right in by an amazing toddler, but next time, I will remember to pause and invite the parent along for the fun. Or better yet, maybe I can join their fun instead!

Have you ever felt like this? What did you do?

How do you balance engaging the parent and the child? What do you do to keep yourself on track?

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In last week’s post, which was Part 1 in this series, I began trying to translate the DEC Recommended Practices for Interaction into practices we can use with caregivers. Rather than focusing on how we can implement these practices with children, we need to really think about how to help parents, child care providers, siblings, and other interaction partners in a child’s life learn how to engage children to promote development. So much of the development of social-emotional, communication, and cognitive skills occur within the context of these important relationships. We are typically pretty fantastic at interacting with young children, but we do our best work when we share what we know about how to engage them with caregivers so that they can use those practices everyday, between visits.

Helping Caregivers Use the DEC Interaction Practices (continued)

In the previous post, I provided descriptions and examples of how we can help caregivers implement intervention practices that focus on promoting children’s social and communication skills. Now, let’s wrap up this series by thinking about interaction practices that promote cognitive development and the use of problem-solving skills.

INT4. Practitioners promote the child’s cognitive development by observing, interpreting, and responding intentionally to the child’s exploration, play, and social activity by joining in and expanding on the child’s focus, actions, and intent.

Early interventionists can be partners in promoting cognitive and social play. Through the parent-child-practitioner triad, the interventionist and parent can practice play strategies that expand the child’s ability to focus, problem-solve, and persist.

Example: While observing play with a shape sorter, a physical therapist (PT) notices how the child throws the shapes rather than trying to insert them. The PT coaches the child’s older sister through using hand-over-hand guidance to help the child feel successful. The PT then helps the sister learn how to gradually reduce how much guidance she provides so that her sibling learns to complete the action of finding and inserting the shape with less help. They talk about how this same strategy could be used when the siblings take turns feeding their baby dolls.

INT5. Practitioners promote the child’s problem-solving behavior by observing, interpreting, and scaffolding in response to the child’s growing level of autonomy and self-regulation.

Example: An educator observes a child and mother at lunchtime to look for opportunities for the child to practice problem-solving and using his hands together. She and the mother brainstorm ways to challenge the child without upsetting him. They come up with the idea to offer him “seconds” on his Goldfish crackers by putting the crackers in a small plastic container. At first, they offer the child the container with the lid closed, and the child cannot open it. They scaffold the activity by opening the lid just enough that the child can more easily remove it next time. They use this activity to motivate the child and help him learn persistence and how to request help from his mother when needed.

These examples remind us that, in order to do our best work, we need to work within the context the caregiver-child relationship. Sure, we will still interact with the child, but we do it for the purpose of supporting the caregiver in learning new strategies he/she can use with the child during the week. Implementing these practices requires a sensitive balance of interacting with caregivers and children in ways that build their capacity to engage each other when we aren’t there. Take a moment to reflect on how you do this, who you primarily interact with during visits, and whether your practices match the examples in this post.

If you want to reflect further, check out the DEC Recommended Practices Products for Interaction. You’ll find checklists you can use for self-assessment and practice guides for you and for families (also available in Spanish). Here’s an example:

Adult-Child Interaction Checklist (PDF, New Window)

Access this checklist and share a comment about it below. Consider this:

How could you use this checklist and these practices to guide your interactions with families?

What is your favorite strategy for helping caregivers interact with their children to encourage problem-solving skills? Communication? Playful engagement?

To read more about how to implement other DEC Recommended Practices, be sure to check out the rest of this series by searching for “DEC Recommended Practices” using the search feature at the top of the page.

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