Involving Families in Field Experiences for Early Intervention Personnel Preparation

1
Involving Families in Field Experiences for Early
Intervention Personnel Preparation

• The Division For Early Childhood
• Annual International Conference
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• October 28, 2008

2
Objectives

• Overview of Project CHILDD
• Overview of family involvement in IECE personnel
  preparation
• Overview of family-center services course
• Family advocate perspective
• Graduate student perspective

3
Project CHILDD Curriculum Family-Centered
Perspectives

• Didactic Course Content
• Family Panels and Guest Presentations
• Field Experiences
• Program Evaluation
• Advisory Committee

4
Project CHILDD CurriculumDidactic Course Content

• Introduction to family-centered services
• Family systems theory
• IFSP and IEP process
• Role of the family in assessment/program
  evaluation
• Communicating with families
• Families as advocates
• Family education
• Family support and resources
• Family roles in curriculum planning and
  implementation

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Project CHILDD CurriculumFamily Panels and
Guest Presentations

• Initial diagnosis and referral for services
• Implications for the family
• Role and perceptions of home and center-based
  services
• Role and perceptions of role in the assessment
  process
• Role and perceptions of the role in the IEP/IFSP
  process

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Project CHILDD CurriculumField Experiences

• IFSP development, implementation and evaluation
• Assistance and input into child assessment,
  including TPBA
• IEP development
• Participate in the role of consultee
• Participate in the role of primary service
  coordination recipient
• Parent-teacher conferences

7
Project CHILDD CurriculumProgram Evaluation

• Family survey of parent panel participation
• Student survey of parent panels
• Family survey of field experience participation
• Student survey of field experiences

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Project CHILDD CurriculumAdvisory Committee

• Family membership mothers with children birth
  to 5 years with developmental delays
• Input about
• Curriculum content
• Field experiences
• Program evaluation

9
IECE 522 Family-Centered ServicesMajor Topics

• The family system
• Effects of a child with a disability on the
  family system
• Family-centered services a model
• Family-centered services Implementing the model

10
IECE 522 Family-Centered ServicesProjects

• Identification of Family Resources, Priorities,
  and Concerns
• IFSP
• Family Plan Implementation/Evaluation
• Family Conference

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IECE 522 Family-Centered Services Parent Panels

• Impact of a child with disabilities on the family
  system
• Transitioning from early intervention to
  preschool to kindergarten

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Project CHILDDFamily Advocate

• Role
• Identify and collaborate with families who have
  children with cultural linguistic diversity
  and/or disabilities to participate in various
  aspects of the IECE program (e.g., guest
  presenters, panel members, field placements), in
  order to better prepare personnel to provide
  services to young children and their families.

13
Methods of Recruiting and Collaborating with
Families

• Letters
• Phone calls
• E-mails
• Support groups
• Community meetings (ex District Early
  Intervention Committee)

14
Parent Panels

• 2007 - Oct. 17, Oct.20, Dec.1
• 2008 - Feb. 27, April 16, Oct. 15
• Total Participants 13
• Completed Survey 5

15
Field Placements

• Fall 2007
• Spring 2008
• Total Families 23
• Completed Survey 7

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Graduate Student Perspectives

• Family characteristics
• Family Interview strengths, priorities and
  concerns
• IFSP
• Implementation Evaluation
• Family Conference
• Family Interaction results from experience

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Family Characteristics

• Two parent household
• No definitive diagnosis
• Has been in First Steps almost one year

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IFSP Outcomes

• IFSP goals and implementation
• Gross Motor - required collaboration with PT and
  parents
• Communication - required collaboration with ST
  and parents
• Intervention location

19
Reflection of Coursework

• Family Interview - viewing parents as a resource
• Implementation and Results- collaboration and
  communication
• Family Interaction - transition to preschool,
  moving to new house

20
Family Characteristics

• Hispanic family
• Twins diagnosed with autism at age 2, nonverbal
• Transitioning from First Steps at age 3, KY Early
  Intervention program at time of project

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IFSP Outcomes

• Communication goals for both children
• Encouraging use of signs and choice board to
  express wants and needs to minimize tantrums
• Implemented individualized picture schedules,
  choice board, and first and then board to express
  wants and ease transitions.

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Reflection of Coursework

• Importance of priorities, resources, and concerns
• Importance of collaboration
• Present relationship with the family-advocate

23
Family Characteristics

• Child has Apert Syndrome
• Born legally deaf but regained her hearing during
  the first year
• Mother was very knowledgeable about services and
  Apert syndrome

24
IFSP Outcomes

• IFSP Goals- Feeding, Speech, Using her Hands
• Strategies Implemented-
• 1. Enhanced Board Books
• 2. Siblings
• 3. Collaboration with professionals

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Reflection of Coursework

• The range of information that a DI must have
• - Constantly researching
• - Use of internet
• What true collaboration is and how it should look
• Parents are great resources

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Family Characteristics

• Twin girls with developmental delays
• (from physical birth defects for one child and
  prenatal complications for the other child)
• Both parents knowledgeable and involved in
  day-to-day care
• Strong, caring support system for family
• Enrolled in First Steps services

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IFSP Outcomes

• Strategies learned and implemented
• Mother relaxed about toileting training for both
  girls
• Mother choose to focus on toileting training as
  they showed interest and during a time when she
  could stay focused on helping them learn routines
  (for example, school vacation times)

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Reflection of Coursework

• Importance of close cooperation with family in
  early intervention
• Parents as partners, and often the focus of
  educational efforts in early intervention
• Highly valuable learning experience as future
  early intervention professional
• Emphasized the importance of Getting It Right
  in early intervention

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Contact Information

• Kimberly Smith
• Kimberly.Smith900_at_wku.edu
• Jennifer Hawkins
• Jennifer.Hawkins292_at_wku.edu
• Sarah McMaine
• Sarah.McMaine_at_wku.edu
• Ericka Powell
• Ericka.Powell_at_wku.edu

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Contact Information

• Susan Miller
• Susan.Miller_at_wku.edu
• Dr. Sylvia Dietrich
• Sylvia.Dietrich_at_wku.edu
• Dr. Vicki Stayton
• Vicki.Stayton_at_wku.edu