Early Intervention Strategies for Success

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

 

Let’s Get 15 Outcomes for 2015!

Posted on January 06, 2015 by in Adult Learning, All, Celebrating Early Intervention, Professional Development

*What’s Your Outcome for 2015?? Share it below and maybe you’ll win a free book!*
Some of you might be thinking…oh no, not another post about new year’s resolutions. If that’s you, then breathe easy because this isn’t about resolutions most of us won’t keep. Voicing a resolution really means very little if it doesn’t have …

Shaking Up the *Typical* Intervention Visit

Posted on December 09, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

Olivia’s IFSP outcome reads: “Olivia will use 20 different words to talk about her favorite people, objects, and foods when interacting with her family and child care provider each day for two weeks.” A developmental services provider alternates weekly visits between the child care center and Olivia’s home to help the important people in Olivia’s life …

Twins & Siblings: Supporting Families of Multiples

Posted on November 04, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination

A set of new referrals comes across your desk: two children in the same family. Twins!  Wow, you think…twice the paperwork, twice the visits, twice the fun. The funny thing is that you probably wouldn’t have balked if you’d just gotten two referrals about children from different families. Why is it that multiples in the same …

What if YOU had an IFSP?

Posted on September 02, 2014 by in Adult Learning, All, Practical Strategies, Professional Development

This is an exciting time of year for many of us. You may be shooing your own children out the door on the first day of school (hooray for 5th grade at my house!). You may be saying goodbye to some families and welcoming others into your program. It’s a great time to reset yourself too, get …

Does Tyler Imitate or USE his Words? – Why the Answer Matters

Posted on July 01, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

On your first visit you ask, “Is Tyler saying any words?” 

“Oh sure, Tyler has lots of words! He can say ball, mama, doggie, outside. He probably says 20-30 words!” his mother replies.

When you ask for more information, you realize that Tyler’s words are almost exclusively said in imitation after his mom prompts him. He only has 2 words that …

Books & Puzzles Are Not Required…What?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies

Okay, be honest. Have you ever:

recommended that a family go buy books;
explained the importance of sorting colored teddy bears into matching bowls; or
listed “placing shapes in a 3-piece form puzzle” as an outcome on the IFSP.

If you answered yes to any of these, well, then you’re in the same boat as me …

Why Didn’t Our Pediatrician Catch This Earlier??

Posted on May 22, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, IFSP Development, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, What Would You Do?

During the assessment, the professional team members notice some soft neurological signs in Seiko’s development, such as an indwelling thumb, slight scissoring of her legs, and low muscle tone in her trunk. Seiko was referred to early intervention by her pediatrician because she is 14 months old and not yet sitting or crawling. According to her …

Service Frequency – How Often is Enough??

Posted on May 01, 2014 by in All, IFSP Development, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination

The answer to this question is that we really don’t know. There isn’t any research in our field that firmly states that a certain level of EI service frequency is most effective. When you think about it, it’s not difficult to guess why this might be. We don’t believe in a one-stop shop mentality; in …

The Parent says “You’re the expert. You tell me.” – What Do You Do?

Posted on March 25, 2014 by in All, Engaging Families, IFSP Development, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, What Would You Do?

At the initial IFSP meeting, Amada’s parents listen quietly as the other team members discuss their daughter’s development with them. Amada’s parents have been relatively quiet during the IFSP meeting, offering little input so far. They agree with any suggestions that other team members have. When asked about what goals they have for their daughter, they …

Tips for Working with Interpreters

Posted on February 04, 2014 by in All, IFSP Development, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, Teamwork

Today we hosted a fantastic Talks on Tuesdays webinar on culture and cultural competence, presented by Cecily Rodriguez from the VA Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The webinar will be archived on our Talks on Tuesdays 1014 page soon if you missed it. Several questions related to working with language interpreters were asked …

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