Imagine: you are sharing your deepest wishes with a trusted friend. You are sharing a cup of coffee on the couch and you feel led to begin a conversation about your goals for the coming New Year. You share your regrets from the past year and your hopes and dreams about how you envision this New Year. You are deep in thought and passionate about articulating these ambitions out loud. Your friend’s response, much to your surprise, is superficially supportive. You sense judgement but you can’t put your finger on it. Why is she being short? Why does her smile look fake? Does she realize her eyebrows just did that? You begin to wonder what her thoughts are and to feel… Vulnerable. Embarrassed. Insecure.

A Parent’s Perspective

Now, imagine that instead of talking to a dear friend, you are talking to a complete stranger in an intake meeting, no coffee involved. Instead of freely sharing your priorities for the New Year, you are being asked to name priorities you have for your most precious hope in the world—your child.

Will I be judged for what’s important to my family and me? Was that the right thing to say? Is that the kind of answer they’re looking for? Geez, I have so many I can’t even put them in order. I need help sorting this out in my head and I am entirely overwhelmed but I don’t want the lady to think I don’t care if I am too vague. Is it okay to breastfeed in here?

These are just some of the thoughts that ran through my head as a parent as I began the early intervention process with my, then, 8 month old. Some deep reflection led me to the following conclusion: From my team, I needed my priorities validated and valued so that I could begin to trust them and their input into our lives.

Building Rapport, Being Curious, and Cultivating Relationships

As service coordinators and providers, it is our job to give up control for the sake of building rapport and trust so that deeper and more meaningful impacts can be achieved during the entire early intervention journey. You might be thinking, But, I don’t control interactions! I help the family with guiding questions to get them to a point where both the clinical/developmental priorities and family priorities are aligned. We have all been there. It can be challenging to reconcile the priorities that are indicated through family and formal assessments with what the family is sharing as their priorities. However, a family’s priorities can and should be discussed informally, too, starting with the first contact you have with them.

To ponder: What barriers to active listening and getting the backstory have you experienced in your relationships and interactions with families?

How?

Be genuinely curious about families, their daily lives, and their backgrounds. Ask for the sake of truly learning, and not documenting. Repeat back what you hear them say often to check that you are understanding their meaning. Validate them when you sense uncertainty, stress, or when they share about topics that are clearly close to their hearts. Use your intuition. Ask open ended questions—not the kind that indicates you are checking off a list, but the kind you would ask when something someone has just said has genuinely sparked your interest. Once you have a truer understanding of where a person is coming from, you can begin to introduce how early intervention can help facilitate and highlight these priorities in the family’s life using the family’s everyday routines and priorities.

To ponder: How might these initial and ongoing interactions inform your practice as you continue to cultivate a relationship with the family throughout the EI process?

So, where does that leave us? For anyone, the first step to making changes is acknowledging that change would bring an added benefit to your quality of life. Seeking help, self-referring, taking a random number that the PCP handed them and calling, showing up to appointments, answering the phone to unknown numbers– these are all indications that a family is open to change. As providers and service coordinators, the most important part of our job is to cultivate relationships that are conducive to productive and meaningful change. We begin that cultivation that by simply listening— getting the backstory so that you can truly walk alongside the family as they continue developing the rest of their early intervention narrative.   

Share with us! What are your go-to questions/conversation-starters that you have in your toolbox to help you ease into this informal approach of getting the backstory?

Micaela is a former early intervention service coordinator and developmental services provider. She holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood and Family Development and her passion is helping families astound themselves with all they can achieve. She is, most importantly, the mother of a beautiful little boy. She and her family have been receiving the support and services of EI since her son was 7 months old. Micaela and her husband are excited to be welcoming a little girl into the world this spring. Through this blog series, Micaela hopes to merge the distinct perspectives of a parent, a service coordinator, and a provider into a unique cultivation of meaningful insight and conversation.

The post Get the Backstory: Validating and Valuing Family Input appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Raise your hand if facilitating transition from early intervention (EI) has been challenging for you or your staff?

Rest assured, you are not alone! We, on the professional development team, consistently hear from service coordinators (especially newbies) and local EI system managers that transition is daunting. They tell us that they or their staff struggle with managing the timelines, filling out the IFSP transition pages, scheduling the meetings, and generally keeping all of the requirements in mind. EI practitioners want to make sure the process works well for families, and as you know, transition is federally monitored so it is very common to feel pressure to “do it right.” To help you help your staff, or help yourself, ensure smooth transitions, we’ve developed a new Transition from Early Intervention Learning Path.

What is a Learning Path?

Learning Paths are small collections of curated activities that focus on an EI topic. To learn about the topic, learners complete each activity on the path. Activities might include reading an article, completing an online module, watching a video, etc. Once the learner completes the learning path, he/she takes a final quiz to earn a certificate documenting the professional development hours earned.

We have several learning paths available now – two on Autism Spectrum Disorder and five on functional assessment. In this post, we’re going to focus on our newest learning path on transition and talk about how to use it with your staff, whether you are meeting in-person or virtually.

A Four-Step Plan for Staff Development

Here are four steps you can use or adapt when helping your staff brush up on their knowledge about transition from EI:

1. Open a discussion about transition during a staff meeting.

Before your staff start the learning path, pull them together for a virtual or in-person meeting about transition or add this to your staff meeting agenda. Use open-ended questions to facilitate a discussion that airs out the challenges and makes room for successes and strategies. Be open to hearing what your staff still need to know. Here are some examples of guiding questions:

• What’s going well this year with transition?
• What do you find challenging about transition? Why?
• What questions do you have about facilitating transition?
• What does a successful, smooth transition look like?
• What tools and strategies are you using now for successful transitions?

2. Guide your staff through the Transition Learning Path.

Introduce your staff to the transition learning path by taking them on a web tour during the meeting, or email them the link to the path with instructions for what to do. To familiarize yourself, take a moment now and visit the Transition Learning Path. Review the six activities, then come back here for more ideas for how to continue the learning process.

Here are some options for how to help your staff move through the path:

• Have staff do one activity before each staff meeting for the next 6-7 meetings
• Convene a special transition discussion group to do each activity together then discuss
• Give staff a deadline to complete the learning path then get together to discuss using specific guiding questions
• Identify staff partners to work through the path together by completing activities and coming together regularly to meet, then pull the whole group together to discuss and share insights.

Or, if you are an individual service coordinator or service provider, you can complete the path on your own. I recommend completing the activities across several sessions rather than trying to knock it all out in one afternoon. The path results in a certificate documenting four professional development hours (after completing a knowledge check) so you will get the most out of it by absorbing the content across time.

3. Continue the learning with a Transition Learning Byte.

Learning across time is always more effective than learning from a single event or resource. The nature of the learning paths encourages learning across time, but you can extend the conversation even further by using the Shooting the Transition Hoop Learning Byte. Learning Bytes are staff meeting activities on a variety of EI topics. The purpose of the transition learning byte is to guide learners as they review key things to remember about transition and reflect on how they can use this information in their daily work with children and families. This could be an activity you do after a group discussion about what was learned from the learning path as a way to debrief. Or, use this learning byte two weeks or a month later to refresh and revisit transition.

4. Revisit the Transition from Early Intervention Services to Part B Preschool Special Education Performance Checklist in 3 months.

Another idea to stretch the conversation and continue the learning would be to use the Transition Performance Checklist multiple times. It is included as an activity on the learning path, but you could have your staff complete it again three months down the road as a self-assessment, either during a group meeting, at supervision, or during peer observations.

Transition is an ongoing process that is so important to ensuring families leave EI with confidence. Whether your staff includes service coordinators, service providers, or both, all EI practitioners can benefit from an understanding of the process. If you want more information or resources about transition, be sure to visit the VA Early Intervention Professional Development Center site’s Transition topic page.

How could YOU use the new Transition Learning Path?

Share your ideas in the comments below!

Resource Highlight: Transition Tutorials

This 4-part series of video tutorials is part of the learning path but can be very useful to staff on their own. These tutorials explain how to complete the transition section of VA’s IFSP and additional requirements in the process:

• Transition:  A Series of Family Decisions 
• Transition: Developing the Plan and Documenting the Steps 
• Transition in Action: Scenarios
• Transition Conference Requirements 

Look for the tutorials on the VEIPD Transition topic page, under the eLearning tab!

The post Resource Alert! – Check Out the New Transition Learning Path appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Despite not being able to meet in person, tele-intervention (telehealth) has brought new opportunities to think about how we are talking about the child outcome summary process. Let’s be completely honest. Tele-intervention forces us to use good teaming practices because there cannot be any side conversations among professionals and everyone is only able to see and hear the same information. This helps us think outside of the box to ensure that all team members have the exact same information so caregivers can make the best decisions for their child.

After completing tele-assessments, I have experienced great success incorporating the caregivers in the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) discussion. The COS process summarizes a child’s functional development in three child outcome areas: positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships), acquire and use knowledge and skills (including early language/communication), and use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs. The Decision Tree can be a helpful tool to facilitate the COS process.

All caregivers participate in the COS discussion using the Decision Tree. This includes deciding with the team which rating statement represents their child’s functioning compared to other kids of the same age. (Click here for more information about the Decision Tree and Virginia’s COS Process). Before even going through the process, it is most helpful to discuss who will facilitate the discussion with the caregiver and the rest of the team members. This includes sharing the screen to show the Decision Tree.   This can be the service coordinator or a provider. Here are 6 steps you can use throughout the process that I have found beneficial.

6 Steps for Engaging Caregivers during the COS Process

1. Explain the caregiver’s role as a team member.

This is an important step. Caregivers need to understand their role in the process and how they can participate. When they are unsure of what to do, they may be more reluctant to participate. Encourage their voices by involving them throughout process, giving thorough explanations, and asking open-ended questions to receive more in-depth answers.

2. Explain each outcome area and the use of the Decision Tree.

The second page of the Decision Tree shows the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia Child Outcomes Summary handout. This handout was specifically designed to support the caregiver’s understanding of the process. It is helpful to send this handout to caregivers prior to the meeting and share the screen with the document pulled up while discussing and highlighting different outcome areas. This will also encourage caregivers’ participation when they fully understand what is being discussed and why.

3. Discuss each outcome area with individualized examples.

During the Assessment for Service Planning, the team discusses functional development within each outcome area based on parent report, observation, clinical opinion, etc. Functional child development focuses on what matters in the family’s daily life, showing how the child is engaging, initiating, and participating throughout their day. It has little meaning to a caregiver if a child can stack blocks, so a functional example would be, “During bath time, Sydney enjoys lining her plastic blocks on the bathtub ledge before knocking them off and laughing. Her mother commented Sydney enjoys playing this game the entire time.” Embedding functional information like this contributes rich examples to the Decision Tree discussion that help all team members understand the child’s abilities and needs. During the discussion, it is also helpful to share the screen to show each outcome area on the IFSP as it is discussed. Screen sharing gives the parent the opportunity to follow along.

4. Review typical functional development.

This is an important step and not to be missed. It truly helps each team member, including the caregiver, understand what is typical for the child’s age within that given child outcome area. This will help each team member understand whether or not the child has “age-expected” functional skills. Utilize your resources for typical development. This can include a combination of resources such as the Act Early Milestones, Functional Development, Age-Expected Snapshots of Development, etc. Again, sharing the screen to show this information and/or sending the info prior to the meeting is beneficial to all team members.

5. Use the Decision Tree discussing each question and prompt.

Again, sharing the screen and/or sending the Decision Tree to the family prior to the meeting can be really helpful. Screen sharing allows each team member (including the caregivers) to look at the same information and follow along accordingly. Ask each question out loud for each decision point. Pause for discussion or examples. When choosing between two items at the decision point, read it and reflect with the caregiver and other team members about specific examples to reach an agreement on the best possible choice. By this point, caregivers should feel empowered to help make the best decision based on the information given to them and understand the importance of their voice.

6. Decide as a team the best statement.

Everyone has a voice. Check in with each person to make sure everyone is in agreement including the caregiver. Discuss specific examples if there is a difference of opinion at any given point in time.

Please note: When I share my screen, I already have these resources pulled up and ready to share as they are discussed: Decision Tree and the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia Child Outcomes Summary handout, the child’s IFSP, and information about typical functional development (See #4 above).

What are your top tips to engage families during the Child Outcome Summary Process?

How do you help facilitate the discussion?

Share your tips and ideas by leaving a comment below!

For more information about the COS process and the Decision Tree, check out these resources:

Decision Tree Tutorial

Virginia’s Child Outcomes Booklet: Team Engagement in the Child Outcomes Summary Process

The Decision Tree: A Tool for Teaming and Family Engagement – Parts I and II

ECTA COS Completion: When Teams Can’t Meet in Person

Extra! Extra! Read All About….Integrating the Decision Tree

Logan is Not a Number! – Explaining the Child Outcomes Process

COS Completion – When Teams Can’t Meet in Person

The post Successfully Engaging Caregivers in the Child Outcomes Summary Process Virtually appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

The presence of an engaged service coordinator who understands the role and skillfully conducts the  many responsibilities of the position ensures a well-coordinated approach to EI service delivery. It is widely acknowledged in the EI field that families have the right to high-quality, individualized EI services; our field must commit to including service coordination in this acknowledgement by ensuring that the professionals who provide this service receive the attention, understanding, respect, and resources they need and deserve. (DEC and ITCA, 2020, p 10)

Wow. This quote is from the summary of the Service Coordination and Early Intervention – Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and IDEA Infant & Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) Joint Position Statement which was recently released in December 2020. It’s a powerful message for our field that’s intended to help us leave behind the unfortunate idea of service coordinators as simply paper pushers. It signals to leaders, administrators, and team members, including families, that service coordinators (SCs) are vitally important professionals who play key roles in the delivery of quality early intervention (EI). It’s about time. I’m proud to have been a part of the development of this statement and eager to spread the word.

A Joint Call to Action

The statement was written, reviewed, and finalized as a collaboration between DEC and ITCA. It represents the voice and beliefs of EI professionals from multiple disciplines who are members of DEC and Part C coordinators across the country. Together, these groups came to the conclusion that we needed a strong Call to Action in support of service coordinators and specific information about the knowledge, skills, beliefs, expertise, roles, and responsibilities of professionals who provide service coordination to encourage consistency across our field.

What Can You Do?

Let’s break down the four recommendations in the Call to Action and consider how to move the dial forward.

#1: States and local programs should review and align current competencies to the indicators in the Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators (KSSC) document.

In an appendix, the KSSC outlines six knowledge and skill areas that are essential for service coordinators, including: infant and toddler development, family-centered practices, leadership and teaming, coordination of services, transition, and professionalism. Take some time to read it and compare it to guidance or competencies your program uses when hiring and training SCs. If you don’t have program-level competencies, consider adopting these.

#2: Leaders who hire, supervise, and mentor service coordinators must have a thorough understanding of the expertise and needs of these professionals. This understanding is essential to ensure that compensation aligns with the level of responsibility expected of service coordinators. Service coordinators also should have appropriate administrative support, reflective supervision, and resources to successfully manage the workload, navigate changes in policies and procedures, and, most importantly, partner with families.  

This recommendation focuses on leadership and administrative support, which traditionally varies greatly across EI programs. If you are a leader, be honest with yourself and reflect on what you understand. Can you specifically explain what the SCs in your program do and what they need? If you find holes in your knowledge or how your program functions, make a plan to address them starting today. A few ideas:

• Ask your SCs what they need and how your program can meet this recommendation, then work together to set goals.
• Schedule regular meetings with service coordinators to touch base, identify needs, and collaborate toward goals.
• Provide specific info about policy changes and what they mean. Invite input and be flexible when you can.
• Check in regularly about workloads.
• Be available for regular planned and unplanned reflective supervision.

#3: States and programs must consider multiple factors when determining workload size to ensure that service coordinators can manage the roles and responsibilities outlined in this joint position statement. The factors to consider include (1) the number of families served per service coordinator, (2) the varying levels of need experienced by families, (3) the model of service coordination implemented in the state/program, (4) the need for administrative support and supervision, and (5) the level of responsibility, educational background, and any specific expertise required of service coordinators in a given state or program.

This recommendation strongly encourages programs to use a multi-factorial view when determining workloads for service coordinators, rather than simply relying on “caseload” numbers which often fail to reflect the complexity and individualized nature of the work. If you are a leader, take a hard look at how your program operates, check in with your staff, and make adjustments to make the work more manageable. If you are a service coordinator, examine your workload and talk with your supervisor about what is going well and where you need support. Bring your creative ideas to the meeting and work together to tackle this recommendation. You might not be able to change the number of referrals coming in, but there are often smaller changes that can be made to improve the situation.

#4. Additional research is needed to identify recommended practices specific to service coordination, which could be guided by the KSSC document. Research also needs to address how these practices would be implemented with families and how service coordinators would be trained to use these practices during preservice and inservice training.

This might sound like a recommendation for academics, but academics need EI programs to work with to conduct research. Reach out to your local university to initiate conversations about research and service coordination. Encourage faculty to share the position statement with their students. Building partnerships with faculty not only benefits the students you may share during field placements, but could also have a positive impact on the field if you work together to learn more about best practices.  

I encourage you to take the time to read the full position statement and share it (or the Executive Summary) with at least two other people. Share it with your staff or with colleagues, other SCs, contractor agencies, leadership, families, and higher education faculty. Start thinking about how you can use it in your program or state.

Let’s answer the call for action by dedicating some intentional time and energy to our service coordinators. They deserve it.

How can you use the position statement in your program? Who will you share it with?

The post Call to Action! Service Coordination and Early Intervention – DEC/ITCA Position Statement appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

As we all scramble to adjust to a new way of living and working amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommuting or teleworking has become the “new normal” for many. Not to be confused with the buzzing topic for early interventionists of tele-intervention or tele-health (that’s a topic for another blog, perhaps), Merriam-Webster simply defines telecommuting as,” to work at home by the use of an electronic linkup with a central office.”

Schools, agencies and businesses are struggling to support educators, students, and employees to adapt to an entirely new way of distance working. As a professional telecommuter for the past 18 years, I am paying close attention to concerns voiced by colleagues via emails, social media posts, and conference calls.  As I have listened and observed, this blog sort of began to “write itself” in my head and I decided to put “fingers to keyboard” to provide some perspective and tips.

When I was offered the opportunity to telecommute, it was a scary consideration. Naturally an extrovert, I wondered how I would cope with far fewer personal interactions. I also had to combat (for myself and others) telecommuting misperceptions. Oh, the questions and comments I’ve received or heard:

Question 1: “Do you roll out of bed and work in your jammies?”

Answer: Nope

Definitely not a morning person, I decided almost immediately that I could not afford to ease into my day differently than when I went into the office. When my alarm goes off at a set daily time, I shower, dress, and yes, I also “do my hair” every morning. While I don’t wear the kind of clothes I would wear for an in-person meeting, I’m always dressed in appropriate clothes if my video camera is ever on, which it frequently is! My girls used to laugh at this and asked why I went to the trouble when I wasn’t seeing people. Why? Because I’m a professional.

Question 2: “Do you watch TV or Netflix?”

Answer: Never

It actually never crossed my mind to have the TV on during the day. I wouldn’t watch TV if I was in the office so why would I ever do that while at work, even from home. Overtime I created a home office space that is really my designated work area. I go to my “office” just as I would go to my agency office. There is no TV anywhere close. Why? Because I’m a professional.

Question 3: “Aren’t you tempted to eat all the time?”

Answer: No

While my kitchen is very close to my home office, I quickly decided that I would adhere to a typical work meal schedule. I eat breakfast before I go to my office. Most days I take a lunch break and go to my kitchen or sit on my porch for a change of scenario. Just like in an office job, I do spend probably far too many days eating lunch at my desk. I’ve never really been tempted to add a lot more snacking or eat more. Why? Because I’m a professional.

Question 4: “I would be on social media all day. Are you?”

Answer: Again, nope

We are all using probably far more social media to stay connected during these uncertain times. I am, too. One thing I caution is to be very careful what you are posting during your typical office hours. People are watching. Your supervisor may be watching as well. It may be a good time to think about what you are posting during business hours. Are the posts job related? If not, might be a good idea to hold off posting until after work hours. I am NOT discouraging posts that uplift your colleagues. I just have seen some posts about what folks are “binge watching” while I know their agency has required telecommuting. This kind of post, unfortunately, supports telecommunicating misperceptions and diminishes the effectiveness of distance working.

So basic questions answered, I want to take a moment to think about the great things regarding telecommuting. I am fortunate to have a job, one that is allowing or promoting my telecommunication. I have great “officemates” with my two dogs. I am able to practice social distancing. I have great technology to connect with colleagues via web-conferencing tools and phone calls. I am contributing to the well-being of friends, colleagues, and larger communities.

Has your agency modified your working situation or required telecommuting? What has been difficult? What is going well?

The post Perspectives from a Professional Telecommuter appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

An important and ongoing part of a service coordinator’s job is gathering information from families about their child and how that child fits into the daily routines of their life. This information ebbs and flows, changing as children and parents develop together over time. By gaining insight into these routines service coordinators can facilitate an IFSP rich with meaningful outcomes and goals and can aim to provide services that best meet the needs of the child and family. Come walk a mile with me as we step through a day in the life of a family. Simple though it may seem, let’s start in the very beginning…

It’s time to wake up.

There’s so much information that can be gained by simple, open-ended questions about how a child moves through his/her day. Does a child wake up like a ray of sun or a storm cloud? Does the 7-day forecast call for sunshine or partly cloudy skies? Ask questions about what constitutes a child’s daily routines. Also ask how that child is participating in their day within those routines. If a child starts their day in tears, does it continue to pour or are there rainbows?

Little Sammy wakes up with the sun with tears in his eyes. He calls out “mommy” while sitting in his toddler bed. After a few minutes of snuggles he’s ready to start the day. When his mom asks what he wants to wear today he pulls open the dresser drawer and says “Paw Patrol” while pulling out his shirt. He lays down on the bed in anticipation of having his diaper changed. He grabs it and says “peepee.” As soon as he is dressed and dry he runs out the door calling out for “daddy” and tells him he’s ready for “a snack” (aka breakfast). He pulls over the kitchen stool to the pantry. He gives a “bar” to dad for help opening the package.

This small part of Sammy’s morning routine alone contains a wealth of information. He has a healthy attachment to his parents. He is growing in independence. Sammy recognizes the routines in his day and participates in dressing. He is showing early signs of readiness for toilet training. Sammy calls out to his family by name. He is using words to tell others what he needs and to identify when he needs help. He is using nice problem solving to figure out how to get something himself. What other things can we ascertain about Sammy from the first 15 minutes of his day?

The days are long, but the years are short.

Most of us are probably familiar with this little adage but unless you are still in those days, then it can be all too easy to forget just how long the days can be. As the family talks about the ins and outs of their daily routines, ask follow-up questions about the child’s likes and dislikes, what do they love to play with and how do they play with it, and what happens when it’s time to stop doing that activity. Are there times of the day the family dreads? The family’s answers can provide a valuable insight into what direction to take with the providers as you plan for the assessment and segues smoothly into the conversation about the family’s concerns and priorities. It can also help you identify challenges within the day the family might not recognize as a challenge.

Service Coordinator: Does your son take a nap?

Mom: Yes, after lunch.

Service Coordinator: How long are his naps?

Mom: Usually about an hour and a half.

In this interaction we’ve established that Sammy takes a nap but a few follow-up questions might reveal that Sammy can easily take up to an hour (or more) to fall asleep and will only stay asleep with his mom next to him. It’s a challenge and frustration for his mom because she doesn’t have that time free to get a few things done around the house. Meanwhile, at daycare he’s the only child in the room that doesn’t nap. His teachers have given up rubbing his back and he now spends the 2 hours lying still in his cot not allowed to talk or move. He has come to associate daycare with being forced to lie still for 2 hours and now drop-off has become a challenge, filled with tears and begging not to go. Take a moment to reflect on how you frame questions to families about their child’s routines. Challenge yourself to think more reflectively and capture the quality of the routines.

Pulling it all together.

The benefits of delving more deeply into daily routines and activities during the development of the IFSP are numerous. Those benefits include a broader knowledge of the child’s natural environments and possible locations for services to take place in the future, capturing challenging moments in the day that might not have been reported at the initial referral, and identifying naturally-occurring routines that can be used to develop richer, more meaningful outcomes and goals for the child and family, only to name a few. Empathy and open-mindedness are useful tools that will enable you to meet a family where they are. Using those tools to gather information from families about their child and how their child fits into the daily routines of their life lends itself naturally to capturing a true picture of a child’s development and functioning that enables us to move beyond our assessment tools. Early intervention supports and services are bound to be more successful when they’re meaningful to the family and embedded naturally into the child’s daily activities and routines.

While we walk alongside a family in the direction of their rainbow, what questions can you ask to better understand how to walk a mile in their shoes?

Share your ideas in the comments below.

Kimberly Morse, MS, CFCS-HDFS, EIP, lives and works in Chesapeake, VA. She holds a BA in Psychology and MS in Child Development and Family Relations. She began working in Early Intervention for the State of North Carolina in December of 2008. She relocated with her family to Virginia in 2015 and resumed working in Early Intervention first through the Infant and Toddler Connection of Norfolk and currently through the Infant and Toddler Connection of Chesapeake. Kimberly and her husband Matthew have 2 little boys, ages 2 and 6. Days spent as their mother are filled with loving memories, a few tears, and a healthy dose of humility and perspective. Kimberly can be reached at kimberly.morse@chesapeakeibh.net.

The post Take a Walk with Me appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Alice (service coordinator) joins Jodie (therapist) on an intervention visit to see Max and his mother. When they walk into the home, Jodie reminds Max’s mother that Alice is here and says, “She’s just here to do the paperwork.” Alice keeps the smile on her face as she greets the family, but inside is cringing and thinking, “Wait, did she really just say that?!”

Ever Been in Alice’s Shoes?

Ever had a moment like this during a visit? Maybe a colleague described your job in a less-than-professional light? Or a parent introduced you to someone else in a way that left you feeling like he or she really didn’t understand what you do? Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence for many service coordinators when their team members struggle to understand their role or the importance of service coordination.

Understanding the Service Coordinator’s Role

Service coordinators are valuable team members who lead early intervention (EI) teams. They bring unique expertise to the team that is often misunderstood. It is easier to recognize how a physical therapist brings expertise about motor development or how a speech-language pathologist brings expertise in communication. We tell families all the time that they bring expertise about their child, their daily routines, and how their family works. Because the role of service coordinator is unique to EI, it can be less obvious what that role brings. Other team members may see the service coordinator as primarily a “paper-pusher” responsible for documentation and getting forms signed. (In fact, many service coordinators have reported this.) Or, perhaps, families may see the service coordinator as the voice on the phone who calls each month to ask how things are going. If that is all they see or hear, then you can undersatnd how it can be hard to really understand the role of a service coordinator and the value in this work. Because the service coordinator role is less familiar, it’s really important for program supervisors, and service coordinators themselves, to help others understand what they do.

Tips for Helping Others Understand the Value of Your Role

Make Sure YOU Know Your Own Value – If you are a service coordinator, make sure you can articulate what you bring to the team. Write it down. Come up with a phrase you can use when faced with situations like the one described above. Embrace your role and its importance. What you think about yourself will shine through, especially when you first meet parents (PDF, New Window) and other team members. Here’s how Alice explained her role when she first met Max’s family:

Example: I’m your service coordinator, which means I am the person who will guide you through the early intervention process. I’m also a resource for you when you want to learn about what’s available in the community to help you and your child. I make sure that your EI services are addressing what’s important to you. I’ll check in regularly to see how things are going and I’m here for you to ask questions anytime.

If you’re the supervisor, make sure you can explain the roles of all of your staff and that you educate new staff, contractors, and community partners so they understand the value of all team members.

Explain Your Role Using the Three Family Outcomes – I heard this tip on a service coordination webinar and it’s a great one. Describe your role to families and others in terms of the three Office of Special Education (OSEP) family outcomes, which include helping families: 1) know their rights; 2) effectively communicate their child’s needs; and 3) help their child develop and learn. Here’s another example of how Alice could explain her role using the family outcomes:

Example: It’s my job to make sure you are aware of your rights as a parent involved in our program. I am also here to help you communicate with the rest of the team anything you want to share, including what you think your child and family need, what’s important to you, and what you would like to accomplish by being in our program. We will work together, with other members of your EI team, to make sure you are learning ways to encourage your child’s development throughout the day.

Speak Up and Share Your Value – Don’t be afraid to speak up and share your value. Try not to take it personally when someone incorrectly explains what you do; most likely, the jab was unintentional. If you find yourself in Alice’s shoes, speak up! Use a friendly, professional tone of voice and remind the provider and family of what you do. When you speak up, you educate everyone present, which can be a wonderful thing. Here’s what Alice could say in this situation:

Example: Yes, we do have some paperwork to do but I’m here for more than that. I’m looking forward to seeing how Max is doing with learning to sit up on his own. I also love seeing how physical therapy is going and talking with you both about any updates or changes needed to Max’s IFSP. I’m responsible for making sure that EI services are working for your family and that you are getting what you and Max need. If there are any questions, I’m here to help with that too.

Show Your Value – This is an important one. Demonstrate the value you bring to the team, to the visit, and to any interactions with the family and other team members. Be fully present when joining visits. Get involved, share ideas, make observations, and offer feedback. This always needs to be balanced with avoiding “taking over” or disrupting the visit, but you have valuable insight to share. You know about child development too. You are an expert in the EI process. You demonstrate your value when you actively participate, guide the EI team, and do what you say you will do, meaning that you follow through on your commitments. What you do, as well as what you say, shapes what others know about your work!

How do you share and show your value as a service coordinator?

How would you handle the situation described above? What would you do or say to help your team members understand your role?

Share you insights in the comments below!

Check out these two videos about the importance of service coordination:

How Service Coordinators Support Service Providers

The Importance of Service Coordination

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Have you heard the news? Assessment teams all over Virginia are integrating the Decision Tree (PDF, New Window) into practice (Drum Roll Please). The Decision Tree is a tool used for teaming and family engagement during the child outcomes summary process.

Let’s imagine that a team from Collaboration County is successfully using the Decision Tree. What might this look like? Keep reading to find out.

Let me introduce you to the team as we check in with them prior to, during, and after their assessment for service planning (ASP).

Margaret – Local System Manager (LSM)
Khadijah – Service Coordinator (SC)
Anika – Speech Therapist (ST)
Charles – Educator (Ed)
Parent – Marisol (Tyler’s Mother)

Before reading about this team’s example below, print the Key Tips handout (PDF, New Window). Highlight the tips you see as the team implements the Decision Tree.

Prior to the ASP

At the staff meeting, Margaret (LSM) introduced the new Decision Tree to the team and handed them a copy. She helped the team familiarize themselves with the Decision Tree by facilitating a discussion using a scenario-based Learning Byte (PDF, New Window). Margaret divided the team into pairs.

Khadijah (SC) practiced facilitating the discussion on Social/Emotional Skills, including social relationships with Anika (ST). Khadijah explained what is expected in this area for a 28 month old child. She discussed some specific examples when prompted on the Decision Tree. Khadijah asked Anika for additional input. Khadijah did not feel comfortable at first, but began to feel more familiar with the flow of the Decision Tree. Anika (ST) took a turn and practiced as well. Anika and Khadijah quickly realized the importance of gathering information about a child’s development and participation across all settings and situations in order to be successful implementing the Decision Tree.

Margaret (LSM) reflected with her staff on the activity and provided time to ask questions and support each other through this process. Everyone loves how the Decision Tree engages the caregiver as an integral member of the team.

After the meeting, Khadijah (SC), Anika (ST), and Charles (Ed) discussed who would facilitate the child outcomes summary discussion at their next assessment with Tyler and his family. Khadijah (SC) agreed with her team to facilitate the discussion.

During the Meeting

During the assessment for service planning, Charles (Ed) helped to ensure team members asked a variety of open-ended questions that included how the child participated throughout several settings and routines. When it was time to discuss the three outcome areas, Khadijah (SC) showed Marisol, Tyler’s mom, the handout on the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia Child Outcomes Summary Process as she explained what the three child outcomes entail. Anika (ST) noticed Marisol’s eyebrows furrowed. She asked Tyler’s mom, “What questions do you have for us?” After answering questions, Khadijah continued to facilitate the discussion in each child outcome area. Anika (ST) and Charles (Ed) each provided specific examples of the child’s strengths and areas of growth. Marisol added individualized examples of Tyler’s functional skills within different routines like waking up and going to the grocery store.

During the discussion, Tyler began to cry and Marisol stated he was probably hungry. Khadijah (SC) asked Marisol if she would like to move the meeting to the kitchen while Tyler ate a snack. Marisol agreed this would be best before continuing to help her focus on the discussion. Khadijah (SC) showed the team the Decision Tree to thoughtfully reflect on each question. Marisol contributed specific examples of Tyler’s abilities and activities along with Anika (ST) and Charles (Ed) until they agreed on a statement to describe Tyler’s functional behaviors compared to his same aged peers.

After the Meeting

Khadijah, Anika, and Charles left the home and met back up at a coffee shop. They reflected on what went well. They agreed each of them provide a different perspective and supported to the family throughout. Changing rooms to finish the discussion helped satisfy Tyler when he was hungry and engage Marisol in the discussion. Team members provided support to each other throughout the process.

Khadijah, Anika, and Charles identified ways they could grow as a team. Khadijah (SC) reflects that her explanation to Marisol on the child outcomes summary process could have been more detailed to help Marisol understand and feel comfortable participating. Charles (Ed) wants to write down examples within routines and settings so he does not forget as they discuss each area. Anika (ST) showed Charles the tool she utilizes called the Assessment for Service Planning Notes Template. Anika (ST) wants to practice asking more open-ended questions around routines.

At the next staff meeting, Margaret (LSM) reflected with her staff on how implementation of the Decision Tree was going. It was a rich discussion filled with what has been going well and how her staff would like to improve.

You heard it here first folks. The Collaboration County team is engaging families and utilizing strong teaming and collaboration throughout the child outcomes summary process.

How do you implement the Decision Tree in your locality?

What ways do you enhance your teaming process?

What strategies do you use to engage the family in the child outcomes summary process?

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Transition is a hefty topic here in Virginia, and I bet it’s probably a hefty topic in other states as well. Transition, and all of the requirements that go along with it, can be overwhelming to all members of the IFSP team. In VA, we often hear from service coordinators that transition is hard – hard to remember all of the steps involved, hard to complete the documentation accurately, hard to manage timelines, and hard to collaborate with receiving programs. For service providers (and service coordinators too), it can be hard to let families go. For families, transition can be a scary time of moving from the known to the unknown and learning to trust someone new with their child. Despite the challenges, we hope that in the end, transition is smooth and results in children and families moving to the next environment where they will be supported and successful.

That all sounds great, but how do you do it? What does smooth and successful transition look like?

A Flexible and Focused Journey

Answering those questions is tricky because transition should be an individualized process. It should be flexible but focused, with the journey being as important as the destination. We often think of transition as the journey from Part C early intervention (EI) to Part B early childhood special education preschool services. The DEC Recommended Practices on transition remind us to think more broadly. Transition in EI includes any change in environment, such as a preemie’s move from the NICU to home or a two year old’s move from home-based EI services to classroom-based preschool under Part B, Early Head Start, a local church preschool, or child care center.

DEC Recommended Practices: Transition

Transition often represents a big change for the family, so what we, as EI practitioners, do before, during, and after that change really matters. Let’s consider the two recommended practices and how what you do impacts what successful transition looks like.

TR1. Practitioners in sending and receiving programs exchange information before, during, and after transition about practices most likely to support the child’s successful adjustment and positive outcomes.

As we see in this practice, it matters what we do before, during, and after the journey:

Before transition: Exchanging information when preparing for transition might look like a service coordinator sharing the IFSP and evaluation information with the receiving program (with parent permission) at the point of referral. It might look like the parent sharing a homemade booklet about her child with the IEP team so they can learn who her child really is. 

During transition: Imagine the speech therapist from the EI program talking with the receiving preschool teacher about how best to support the child’s communication starting the first day of school. Or, the EI physical therapist (PT) working closely with the receiving program’s PT to ensure the new program has the appropriate equipment so the child has the stability he needs to participate in group activities. 

After transition: Even though the child will be discharged from the EI program just before transition, wouldn’t it be great if the receiving program staff could still reach out to the EI practitioners with questions about how to help the child adjust to the new environment? Similarly, the EI staff could reach out to the family to check in on the child’s adjustment and offer support, even just over the phone. Staying in touch, even though the child is no longer receiving EI services, would be a wonderful way to facilitate that seamless transition. 

TR2. Practitioners use a variety of planned and timely strategies with the child and family before, during, and after the transition to support successful adjustment and positive outcomes for both the child and family.

Implementing this practice reminds us that transition should be well-planned and coordinated. For a service coordinator, this might look like closely monitoring required timelines for Part B referral, which in Virginia includes referring children by April 1st (or earlier in some localities) to ensure that eligible children start preschool the first day of the next school year. Service coordinators also ensure that transition planning occurs at least 90 days but not more than 9 months prior to the anticipated date of transition. Transition conferences are held so families can learn about their options and plan accordingly.

During the transition process, the service coordinator and other providers can help families prepare and provide needed information to the receiving programs (such as proof of residency). They may attend eligibility or IEP meetings with families for support. Service coordinators and providers can check in regularly with families about the process, answer questions, and link families with other parents who have been through the process. 

Providers can help children and families prepare for the new environment by working together on outcomes to help the child be successful. Examples of this could include teaching the child to use an AAC device to communicate more clearly with others, helping the child learn to use a gait trainer to maneuver around obstacles in a busy setting, assisting the parent in finding opportunities for the child to learn to play near other children, or encouraging the family to teach the child to hang up a jacket, carry his backpack, or help clean up after lunch. 

What transition looks like and how the journey unfolds will be different for each child and family. What we do, as EI practitioners, before, during, and after transition can help make sure the process is a positive one that prepares children (and their parents) to be successful wherever they go next.

What is one of the most important things you can do to help families prepare for transition?

How do you support families during and after transition? 

Share how you implement the transition practices in the comments below!

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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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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