Early Intervention Strategies for Success

Sharing What Works in Supporting Infants & Toddlers and the Families in Early Intervention

 

Early interventionists, physicians and nurses, child care providers, preschool teachers, home visitors, playgroup leaders, family members – you all have the power to help with early identification of autism spectrum disorder. Earlier identification is associated with earlier, appropriate intervention and better long-term positive outcomes for children. It is not an easy topic to discuss with …

You’re sitting on the living room floor ready to start the assessment and the child is no where to be seen. His mother says that he always hides from strangers and is probably behind the couch. One peak back there and yup, there he is. As soon as he sees you he turns away. How …

How do you keep your early intervention knowledge and practices current? It’s not always easy!

Keeping up with current practices and thought in the field can be very challenging for interventionists for lots of reasons – lack of time, expenses involved with journal subscriptions, etc. Here are a few links, ideas, and suggestions to help you keep up!
Journals
I know …

The baby is in the high chair and you cover her snack with a bowl. Does she look under the bowl to find her goldfish crackers? Or maybe she drops her green ball on the floor. Does she look for it? Or does she just cry because her snack or favorite toy has disappeared?

It all …

Metacognition? Ever heard of it? Are you wondering if this has anything to do with early intervention and if you should even keep reading this post? 🙂
Well the answer to both questions is YES!
Metacognition is an underlying concept that relates to implementation of effective early intervention strategies and is one that most interventionists probably aren’t …

You’re nervous as you walk into the child care provider’s home this week. On the last two visits, you noticed that the baby you are seeing was lying in a playpen in the dining room away from the other children. He was awake, lying on his back, which you noticed he kept arching due to his …

If you work with infants and toddlers,  you know the mesmerizing qualities of bubbles and the unlimited possibilities of a simple ball. Bubbles and balls are staples in many families’ homes so you don’t need to bring them with you to intervention visits;  you just ask the parent if they have one or the other …

Does a day go by when you don’t have a question about the work you do??

The willingness to learn, try new things, be flexible, and adjust to each family’s priorities and environments are all must-have skills for early interventionists. With each new family you meet, each new IFSP outcome, and each new colleague who joins your team …

You’re sitting in an IFSP meeting discussing outcomes that the family would like to see for the child. The child is eligible for early intervention (EI)  due to global developmental delays as well as cerebral palsy. The IFSP outcomes include the child learning to move about independently, feed himself, and learn to ask for what he wants, like …

Balloons, cake, friends…who doesn’t like a party? And how many invitations to a child’s birthday party have you received?

In early intervention, we constantly walk that thin line between establishing rapport and maintaining professional boundaries with families. It is important that a collaborative, trusting relationship between family members and early interventionists is established and nurtured. This …

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