Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early Childhood

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Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early
Childhood

• Dathan Rush, MA, CCC-SLP
• Dathan.rush_at_ncmail.net
• MLisa Shelden, PT, PhD
• Mlisa.shelden_at_ncmail.net
• http//www.coachinginearlychildhood.org

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What is the purpose of early childhood
intervention?

• Early childhood intervention is to support care
  providers in developing the competence and
  confidence to help the child learn.

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303.12 Early intervention services.
General role of service providers 1) Consulting
2) Training 3) Participating in the assessment
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Traditional Paradigm

• Treatment models
• Expertise models
• Deficit-based models
• Service-based models
• Professionally-centered models
• (Dunst, 2000)

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New Paradigm

• Promotion models
• Capacity-building models
• Strengths-based models
• Resource-based models
• Family-centered models
• (Dunst, 2000)

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Our Goal

• Promoting the childs ability to be and do
  by facilitating the familys or care providers
  ability to enhance the childs development using
  what they consider important.

(Shelden Rush, 2001)
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Our Role
Contemporary best practice might incorporate the
view that therapists need to consider themselves
more as advisors, counselors and purveyors of
information to families of children with
disabilities than as direct care providers, and
that they need to maintain a long-term
perspective. (Campbell, 1997)
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Our Role
The concept is more akin to being a coach or
personal trainer than a hands-on
provider. (Campbell, 1997)
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Our Role

• Service providers should move to a different
  position alongside the parent as a coach rather
  than a lead player.
• (Hanft Pilkington, 2000)

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Our Role

• Itinerant ECSE teachers should be prepared to
  act not simply as consultants to early childhood
  teachers but as coaches
• (p. 42).
• (Dinnebeil, McInerney, Roth, Ramasway, 2001)

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Frequency issues

• Two hours/week 2 of total waking hours of a
  one year old child
• Diapering, feeding, playingeach happen at least
  2000 times by the child is one year of age
• Just 20 everyday activities would equal 40,000
  learning opportunities by age one.
• (Dunst, 2001)

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Coaching

• The strategy a primary coach uses to build the
  capacity of care providers to promote child
  learning and development in family, community,
  and early childhood settings.

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What is Coaching?

• Coaching is not telling people what to do its
  giving them a chance to examine what they are
  doing in light of their intentions. (Flaherty,
  1999)

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What is Coaching?

• Successful coaching is a mutual conversation
  that follows a predictable process (Kinlaw,
  1999)

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What is Coaching?

• Coachingis defined as an interactive process
  between(two people)that enhances behavior and
  thought processes.Coaching involves a
  specialized set of learned skills when
  interacting with people in everyday (situations).
  Coaching is developing people on purpose.
  Coaching involves (the other person) in the
  process of planning, creating, and problem
  solving. (Doyle,1991)

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What is Coaching?

• Coaching is designed to result in effective
  action and/or personal growth for the (person
  being coached). It is individualized and based
  on the theory that each person has a unique
  knowledge base, and learning preference and
  styles, therefore, participants progress at their
  own pace.
• (Wild, Shambaugh, Isberg, Kaul,1999)

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Operational Definition of Coaching

• Coaching is an interactive process of reflection
  and feedback used to provide support and
  encouragement, refine existing practices, develop
  new skills, and promote continuous
  self-assessment and learning.

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Our Definition

• Coaching in early childhood is an interactive
  process of observation and reflection in which
  the coach promotes the other persons ability to
  support the child in being and doing. Being with
  the partners in life who the child wants and
  needs to be with and doing what he wants and
  needs to do.
• (Shelden Rush, 2001)

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Being and Doing
For the child, this means being with the
partners in life who the child wants and needs to
be with and doing what he wants and needs to
do. (Shelden Rush, 2001)
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For the Learner...
Coaching develops the competence and confidence
to implement strategies to increase the childs
learning opportunities and participation in daily
life, knowing when the strategies are successful
and making changes in current situations, as well
as, generalizing solutions to new and different
circumstances, people, and settings. (Bruder
Dunst, 1999 Fenichel Eggbeer, 1992 Flaherty,
1999 Kinlaw, 1999)
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Goal of the Coach

• The coachs goal for the learner is sustained
  excellent performance in which the learner has
  the competence and confidence to engage in self
  reflection, self correction, and generalization
  of new skills and strategies to other situations
  as appropriate.

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Your Experiences

• What have been your experiences with coaching?
• What made the experience good/bad?
• What are the most important characteristics of an
  effective coach?
• What are the important characteristics of the
  coaching process?

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Quiz

• 1. When parents and colleagues ask me
  questions,
• a) I always have the answers.
• b) I freak out if I dont have the answers.
• c) I avoid the question if I dont have the
  answer.
• d) We work together to discover the answer or
  other resources.

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Quiz

• 2. When a care provider shares an idea with me,
• a) I immediately compare that idea to my own
  values, beliefs, and preferences.
• b) I evaluate how realistic the idea actually
  is.
• c) I consider the idea in light of the care
  providers intended outcome.
• d) I immediately agree or disagree.

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Quiz

• 3. When working with a care provider or
  colleague,
• a) I follow the care providers or colleagues
  lead during a conversation to determine how I can
  be helpful.
• b) I focus on her issue at that moment then go
  back to my plan for the visit.
• c) I get frustrated when they cannot stay on
  task.
• d) I stick to my agenda or plan.

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Quiz

• 4. When people describe me, they tend to use
  words like
• a) Supportive, encouraging, and caring.
• b) Busy, rushed, and overworked.
• c) Opinionated, directive, and to the point.
• d) Sympathetic, soft-hearted, and indulgent.

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Quiz

• 5. When working with care providers and
  colleagues,
• a) I tend to tell people what I think they want
  to hear.
• b) I share complete, and unbiased information.
• c) I give only positive feedback.
• d) I wait to share difficult information as long
  as I possibly can.

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Characteristics of an Effective Coach

• Competent
• Objective
• Adaptable
• Caring
• Honest

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Characteristics of Coaching

• Joint Planning
• Observation
• Action/Practice
• Reflection
• Feedback

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The Coaching Process

• Initiation
• Observation
• Action
• Reflection
• Evaluation of the Coaching Process
• Continuation
• Resolution

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The Coaching Process (Rush, Shelden, Hanft,
2002)
Action
Observation
Evaluation
Reflection
Resolution
Continuation
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Component 1 Initiation

• Identify coaching opportunities
• Clarify the purpose and outcomes of coaching
• Identify and address any barriers to making the
  coaching process effective
• Clarify the ground rules

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Component 2 Observation

• Observation of person being coached (learner)
• Observation of the coach by the learner to
  acquire new skills and strategies
• Observation of the environment(s)
• Self-observations by the learner outside of
  coaching sessions
• Observation of others in the environment by the
  learner

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Component 3 Action

• Coach models for the learner
• Learner practices new skills
• Learner anticipates a behavior, issue, or
  experience to discuss with the coach prior to an
  event
• Learner experiences a behavior, issue, or
  situation that precipitates a discussion with the
  coach
• Learner uses new skills and strategies discussed
  with coach

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Component 4 Reflection Discussion

• Assist the learner in discovering what he already
  knows or needs to discover by asking the right
  questions in the right way
• Whats happening now?
• What have you tried?
• What are you wanting to accomplish?
• How did you decide where to focus?
• How will you know when you have accomplished it?

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Lets take a look at

• The Reflective Question Framework

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The Process of Reflection

• Information Question
• Information Question
• Information Question
• Reflect Reflect Reflect ACTION
• ah-ha ah-ha

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Component 4 Reflection Discussion

• Provide feedback on observation and/or action
• Share information, resources, and supports such
  as
• instruction/teaching
• demonstration/modeling
• joint problem-solving

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Component 4 Reflection Discussion

• Confirm understanding by the learner
• Review what has been accomplished, new actions or
  strategies to implement, etc.
• Provide encouragement
• Acknowledge the learners strengths, commitment,
  competence, mastery, and accomplishments

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Component 5 Evaluation of the Coaching Process

• What is the effectiveness of the coaching
  relationship? Is the learner receiving the
  informational, emotional, and material supports
  needed? (McWilliam Scott, 2001)
• How does the learner view the coaching
  relationship?
• Do I as the coach have the appropriate skills
  necessary to support the learner for the
  achievement of the outcomes?

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Component 5 Evaluation of the Coaching Process

• Do I need coaching from other members of my team?
  
• Do we need to change coaches?
• Am I making a difference (i.e., Is the learner
  achieving the outcomes?)

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Component 5 Continuation

• What observations and actions might be helpful
  for the learner to conduct between coaching
  visits?
• Have you developed joint understanding of what
  was discussed and agreement upon the actions to
  be taken?
• Are strategies for ongoing communication and
  feedback in place?
• What is the plan for the next coaching session?
• Is there information or support that need to be
  provided between coaching sessions?

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Component 5 Resolution

• Have the desired outcomes been achieved?
• Is the learner committed to and capable of
  self-correction, continuous improvement, and
  ongoing excellent performance?
• Have you reached consensus on an action plan?
• Have you discussed factors that would necessitate
  reinitiation of the coaching relationship?

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Common Mistakes in Coaching

• Telling the learner what to do
• Failing to build the capacity of the learner
• Lack of follow-up with the learner
• Providing non-specific feedback
• Coaxing versus coaching
• Lack of joint planning for action
• Missing opportunities to promote further
  reflection

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But what do I do with my hands?

• Only TWO reasons exist for hands-on...
• Assessment (to figure out what works)
• Modeling and teaching (to share new ideas with
  learners)

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Application of Coaching

• Role of the Practitioner

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Application of Coaching

• Role of the Service Coordinator
• Initial Conversations
• IFSP Development
• Family Support

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Application of Coaching

• Role of the
• Early Childhood Teacher
• or Childcare Provider

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Application of Coaching

• Role of the Family

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References

• Campbell, S. (1997). Therapy programs for
  children that last a lifetime. Physical and
  Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 7(1), 1-15.
• Costa, A.L. Garmson, R.J. (1994). Cognitive
  coaching A foundation for renaissance schools.
  Norwood, MA Christopher-Gordon.
• Dinnebeil, L., McInerney, W., Roth, J.,
  Ramasway, V. (2001). Itinerant early childhood
  special education services Service delivery in
  one state. Journal of Early Intervention, 24(1),
  35-44.
• Doyle, J.S. (1999). The business coach A game
  plan for the new work environment. New York,
  N.Y. John Wiley Sons, Inc.
• Dunst, C.J., Hamby, D., Trivette, C.M., Raab, M.,
  Bruder, M.B. (2000). Everyday family and
  community life and childrens naturally occurring
  learning opportunities. Journal of Early
  Intervention, 23(3), 151-164.
• Flaherty, J. (1999). Coaching Evoking
  excellence in others. Boston, MA.
  Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Gallacher, K. (1997). Supervision, mentoring and
  coaching. In P. Winton, J. McCollum, C.
  Catlett (eds.), Reforming personnel in early
  intervention, (pp. 191-214). Baltimore, MD
  Brookes.

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References cont.

• Hanft, B., Pilkington, K. (2000). Therapy in
  natural environments The means or end goal for
  early intervention? Infants and Young Children,
  12(4), 1-13.
• Joyce, B. Showers, B. (1980). Improving
  inservice training The messages of research.
  Educational Leadership, 37(5), 279-385.
• Kinlaw, D.C. (1999). Coaching for commitment
  Interpersonal strategies for obtaining superior
  performance from individuals and teams. San
  Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
• McWilliam, R.A., Scott, S. (2001). A support
  approach to early intervention A three part
  framework. Infants and Young Children, 13(4),
  55-66.
• Schon, D.A. (1987). Educating the reflective
  practitioner. San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Whitmore, J. (1996). Coaching for performance.
  London Breasley.