Transcript III. The primary role of the service provider in early

Principles and Effective Practices for
Providing Early Intervention Services in
Natural Environments:
Reaching Consensus
Presented by
Joicey Hurth & Lynda Pletcher,
National Early Childhood TA Center
The Seventh National Inclusion Institute
August 2007
Introduction
The TA Community of Practice on Effective
Practices in natural Environments
 Sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs,
US Dept. of Ed
 Facilitated by:
– National Early Childhood TA Center (NECTAC)
– Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC)
– Region 6 Parent Information and Training Center
(PTI)
The Identified Need
• Reach Consensus on Principles
• Identify the Research –base on Practices
• Compile Learnings from Research and Model
Development and Validation Efforts
• Describe the Agreed Upon Practices that are
“Model Neutral”
• Next Steps:
– Determine various uses of these materials
– Identify the skills necessary to implement practices
– Identify (write??) training resources
Community Of Practice Workgroup On
Principles and Effective Practices In Natural
Environments
Susan Addision, Betsy Ayankoya,
Mary Beth Bruder, Carl Dunst, Larry Edelman,
Andy Gomm, Barbara Hanft, Cori Hill,
Joicey Hurth, Grace Kelley, Anne Lucas,
Robin McWilliam, Stephanie Moss,
Lynda Pletcher, Dathan Rush, M’Lisa Shelden,
Mary Steenberg, Judy Swett, Nora Thompson,
Julianne Woods, and Naomi Younggren
Four Documents and the Status
• Mission and Key Principles of Early
Intervention Services (Final Draft)
• Seven Key Principles &
Looks Like/Doesn’t Look Like (2nd Draft)
• Agreed Upon Practices For Providing Early
Intervention Services In Natural
Environments (4th Draft)
• Suggestions of Literature that Support
Principles (1st Draft)
Mission and 7 Key Principles of
Early Intervention Services
See Hand-out
I. Infants and toddlers learn best through
every day experiences and interactions
with familiar people in familiar contexts.
Key Concepts:
• Learning activities and opportunities must be
functional, based on child and family interest
and enjoyment
• Learning is relationship-based
• Learning should provide opportunities to practice
and build upon previous mastered skills
• Learning occurs through participation in a variety
of enjoyable activities
II. All families, with the necessary
supports and resources, can enhance
their children’s learning and development.
Key Concepts:
• All means ALL (income levels, racial and cultural backgrounds,
educational levels, skill levels, living with varied levels of
stress and resources)
• The consistent adults in a child’s life have the greatest
influence on learning and development- not EI providers
• All families have strengths and capabilities that can be used
to help their child
• All families are resourceful but all families do not have equal
access to resources
• Supports (informal and formal) need to build on strengths and
mitigate stressors so families are able to engage with their
children in mutually enjoyable interactions and activities
III. The primary role of the service provider
in early intervention is to work with and
support the family members and caregivers
in a child’s life.
Key Concepts:
• EI providers engage with the adults to enhance
confidence and competence in their inherent
role as the people who teach and foster the
child’s development
• Families are equal partners in the relationship
with service providers
• Mutual trust, respect, honesty and open
communication characterize the family-provider
relationship
IV. The early intervention process, from initial
contacts through transition, must be dynamic and
individualized to reflect family members learning
styles and cultural beliefs and practices.
Key Concepts:
• Families are active participants in all aspects of services
• Families are the ultimate decision makers in the amount, type of
assistance and the support they receive
• Child and family needs, interests, and skills change; the IFSP must
be fluid, revised accordingly
• The adults in a child’s life each have their own preferred learning
styles; interactions must be sensitive and responsive to individuals
•
Each family’s cultural, religious beliefs and activities, values and
traditions will be different Service providers should seek to
understand, not judge family “ways” are more important than
provider comfort and beliefs (short of abuse/neglect)
V. IFSP outcomes must be functional and
based on child and family needs and
priorities
Key Concepts:
• Functional outcomes improve participation in
meaningful activities
• Functional outcomes build on natural
motivations to learn and do; fit what’s important
to families; strengthen naturally occurring
routines; enhance natural learning opportunities.
• The family understands that strategies are worth
working on because they lead to practical
improvements in child & family life
VI. With team and community support, a
primary service provider is most appropriate
to collaborate with the family to address their
priorities, needs and interests.
Key Concepts:
• The team can include friends, relatives, and community
support people, as well as specialized services people
• Good teaming practices are used
• One consistent person needs to understand and keep
abreast of the changing circumstances, needs, interests,
strengths, and demands in a family’s life
• The primary provider brings in other services and
supports as needed, assuring outcomes, activities and
advice are compatible with family life and won’t
overwhelm or confuse family members
VII. Interventions with young children and
family members must be based on explicit
principles, validated practices, best
available research and relevant laws.
Key Concepts:
• Practices must be based on and consistent with explicit
principles
• Providers should be able to provide a rationale for
practice decisions
• Research is on-going and informs evolving practices
• Practice decisions must be data-based and ongoing
evaluation is essential
• Practices must fit with relevant laws and regulations
• As research and practice evolve, laws and regulations
must be amended accordingly
7 Key Principles &
Looks Like Doesn’t Look Like
Example:
III. The primary role of the service provider in early
intervention is to work with and support the family
members and caregivers in a child’s life.
Looks Like
Doesn’t Look Like
• Using professional behaviors
that build trust and rapport and
establish a working partnership
with families.
• Providing information,
materials and emotional
support to enhance family’s
natural role as the people who
foster their child’s learning and
development.
• Being nice to families and
becoming their “friend”
• Training families to be “mini”
therapist or interventionist
See Hand-out
Exercise
7 Key Principles &
Looks Like / Doesn’t Look Like
(Use Work sheet)
Agreed Upon Practices For
Providing Early Intervention
Services In Natural Environments
Sample
First Contacts with Families from
Referral to the IFSP Meeting
1. Become acquainted and establish rapport
 Use social behaviors that are warm and welcoming
and respectful of family culture and circumstances.
 Balance the time listening to the family with sharing
information.
 Ask what language the family usually speaks (mode
of communication) and if any family members may
want an interpreter. Explore their level of comfort with
written documents.
 Express willingness to explore family concerns and
work with them to find solutions.
Sample
The IFSP Meeting
1. Establish a welcoming and respectful climate for
family members and caregivers as equal members of
the IFSP team.
 Introduce all present as equal team members with
essential input to share throughout the meeting.
 Clarify roles and encourage all to learn together, share
observations, raise questions and problem-solve.
 Share all pertinent information so that families can make
informed decisions.
 Avoid jargon or explain what it means, so that the family
understands.
 Tailor interactions to the unique learning preferences and
modes of communication of each adult.
Sample:
On-going Intervention Practices
4.
Given the selected IFSP outcome(s), engage with the family or other caregivers
and child in the activity and/or routine as the context for promoting new skills
and behaviors.
 Offer a variety of options to families for receiving new information or refining
their routines and activities, such as face- to-face demonstrations, video,
conversations, written information, audios, CDs, diaries.
 With the family, set up the routine or activity using the family’s toys/materials.
 Listen, model, teach, coach to support and/or join the ongoing interactions
of the family and child.
 Engage with the family in observing and assessing the child’s skills,
behaviors and interests (a continual part of on-going functional assessment).
For example, ask the family if behaviors are typical; if they’ve seen new
behaviors (suggesting emerging skills); how much the child seems to enjoy
the activity.
 Use collaborative consulting or coaching skills throughout the activity,
including:
 observing, listening, attending, acknowledging, associating, responding,
probing, summarizing.
 Together reflect and evaluate what went well, what you want to continue
and what should be modified.
Exercise
Feedback on:
Agreed Upon Practices For Providing
Early Intervention Services In Natural
Environments
Use Posters and Post-its)
Suggestions of Literature that
Supports the Key Principles
.
•
•
•
Sample
Suggestions of Literature that Supports
Principle #3
Dunst, C. J. (2000). Revisiting “rethinking early
intervention”. Topics in Early Childhood Special
Education, 20(2), 95-104.
Dunst, C. J., & Bruder, M. B. (1999). Family and
community activity settings, natural learning
environments, and children’s learning opportunities.
Children’s Learning Opportunities Report, 1(2).
Pilkington, K. O., & Malinowski, M. (2002). The
natural environment II: Uncovering deeper
responsibilities within relationship-based services.
Infants and Young Children, 15(2), 78-84.
Rush, D. D., Shelden, M. L., & Hanft, B. E. (2003).
Coaching families and colleagues a process for
collaboration in natural settings. Infants and Young
Children, 16(1), 33-47.
Discussion
• Reactions
• Potential Uses of These Documents
• Suggestions for Dissemination