Principles and Effective Practices for Providing Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments: Reaching Consensus

1
Principles and Effective Practices for Providing
Early Intervention Services inNatural
Environments Reaching Consensus

• Presented by
• Joicey Hurth Lynda Pletcher,
• National Early Childhood TA Center
• The Seventh National Inclusion Institute
• August 2007

2
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)

3
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

4
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, MLisa Shelden,
• Mary Steenberg, Judy Swett, Nora Thompson,
• Julianne Woods, and Naomi Younggren

5
Four Documents and the Status

• Mission and Key Principles of Early Intervention
  Services (Final Draft)
• Seven Key Principles
• Looks Like/Doesnt 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)

6
Mission and 7 Key Principles of Early
Intervention Services See Hand-out
7
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

8
II. All families, with the necessary supports and
resources, can enhance their childrens 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 childs 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

9
III. The primary role of the service provider in
early intervention is to work with and support
the family members and caregivers in a childs
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 childs
  development
• Families are equal partners in the relationship
  with service providers
• Mutual trust, respect, honesty and open
  communication characterize the family-provider
  relationship

10
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 childs life each have their own
  preferred learning styles interactions must be
  sensitive and responsive to individuals
• Each familys 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)

11
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 whats 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

12
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
  familys life
• The primary provider brings in other services and
  supports as needed, assuring outcomes, activities
  and advice are compatible with family life and
  wont overwhelm or confuse family members

13
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

14
7 Key Principles Looks Like Doesnt Look Like
15
ExampleIII. The primary role of the service
provider in early intervention is to work with
and support the family members and caregivers in
a childs life.

• Looks Like
• Using professional behaviors that build trust and
  rapport and establish a working partnership with
  families.
• Providing information, materials and emotional
  support to enhance familys natural role as the
  people who foster their childs learning and
  development.

• Doesnt Look Like
• Being nice to families and becoming their
  friend
• Training families to be mini therapist or
  interventionist

16
Exercise

• 7 Key Principles
• Looks Like / Doesnt Look Like
• (Use Work sheet)

17
Agreed Upon Practices For Providing Early
Intervention Services In Natural Environments
18
SampleFirst 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.

19
SampleThe 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.

20
SampleOn-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 familys 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 childs skills, behaviors and interests (a
  continual part of on-going functional
  assessment). For example, ask the family if
  behaviors are typical if theyve 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.

21
Exercise

• Feedback on
• Agreed Upon Practices For Providing Early
  Intervention Services In Natural Environments
• Use Posters and Post-its)

22
Suggestions of Literature that Supports the Key
Principles
23
SampleSuggestions 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 childrens learning
  opportunities. Childrens 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.

24
Discussion

• Reactions
• Potential Uses of These Documents
• Suggestions for Dissemination