Early Intervention Strategies for Success

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

 

Rule of thumb…never bring a xylophone to an intervention visit when there are siblings in the mix.

This was one of my biggest rules when I was working in EI and still lugging around a toy bag. Ages ago I had a visit where I brought the xylophone along and the preschool-aged brother of the child …

You’ve been in a home working with a family for about 15 minutes when the child’s older brother walks into the room, sneezes on you, and sits on your lap. The child feels like he has a fever, has very runny nose and is coughing. The mother tells you that he’s been sick since yesterday and …

A strong, comfortable, and trusting partnership between the service coordinator and the service provider is so important for a cohesive early intervention system. Without it, you have IFSP services ending without IFSP reviews or outcomes being “met” but not indicated on the plan. You have frustrated team members who feel that families are not getting the support they …

I just returned from attending and presenting at the Zero to Three National Training Institute in Los Angeles this past weekend. The conference was wonderful, with 2000 attendees from all over the country. It was amazing to see so many people together focusing on what is such a critically important time in early development. Once …

We’ve all had that visit…the one where we knock on the door for the first time and the family is less than pleased to see us arrive. Or the visit where, after we arrive, the parent leaves us in the living room and doesn’t reappear for 10 minutes. Or, the visit where the parent is …

Last week I wrote about strategies for using videotaping during and between EI visits.  Here are three fabulous resources to help you think more about the potential use of video to positively impact our work with families:
Results Matter Video Library
Larry Edelman from the University of Coloradco produced these videos and has been a leader in developing short videos for use in …

One of the interesting ideas that’s percolating around in my brain following the DEC conference is about using videotaping during and between early intervention visits. Here are a few ways I’ve either heard about or read about for using videotaping in early intervention to help families bridge the gap between visits and everyday life:
Using a …

Early interventionists know service coordinators wear several hats. We are advocators, coordinators, problem solvers, and mediators.   Service coordinators are leaders in the IFSP process and active listeners to parents and providers.   We have to be creative and sometimes think outside the box to help children reach their greatest potential.

Service coordination has many rewards and challenges …

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