EI on the Fly

In Episode 5, we will discuss managing technology which is so important for successful tele-intervention. We will consider technology options and share tips for preparing families to use technology during visits, troubleshooting, and addressing issues with access.

In this episode, we will talk about how to support the parent-child relationship during tele-intervention. We revisit the mission of early intervention and discuss how supporting families virtually requires that service providers really focus on parent-child interactions and family routines and activities as the contexts for intervention. Lots of strategies are shared and we hear from a current service provider about her experiences supporting this important relationship. 

Early intervention service providers have risen to the challenge of shifting service delivery to using virtual platforms. In this episode, we discuss challenges reported by providers such as  families declining virtual EI services, difficulties with using technology, managing their own family needs while working from home, managing their feelings about preparedness and effectiveness, etc. We'll also share lots of tips from providers for overcoming these challenges.

Listen as we discuss what early interventionists are saying about the benefits of providing services virtually. We will also touch on what research suggests about benefits and hear two stories from service providers sharing their positive experiences providing tele-intervention.

In this episode, Dana and Emily introduce their new tele-intervention series by discussing what tele-intervention is and how it can be used. They also let us know some of the topics they will be covering in season 3 of EI on the Fly, a podcast about all things Early Intervention. 

In our last episode in this series, Sarah Nichols from the Early Intervention Training Program at the University of Illinois joins us to talk about the importance of team members helping one another learn and grow. We’ll chat about formal and informal learning opportunities and share ideas for learning with colleagues and family members. 

Episode 4 features a discussion with Dr. Johanna Higgins, Assistant Professor of Practice and Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator at the University of Nebraska​-Lincoln, about the importance of open and honest communication among team members. We discuss our own communication preferences and share ideas and stories for effective communication with family and other professional team members on early intervention teams. 

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Naomi Younggren, consultant with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA Center), to talk about the importance of showing that we value and respect our team members, including family members, colleagues, and agency partners. Strategies and stories to help you reflect on this component of teaming and addressing challenges are shared.

In episode 2, we discuss how early intervention teams share common tasks and understand the unique roles of team members. Strategies for overcoming challenges related to how teams collaborate are shared and the importance of recognizing what each person brings to the team, including family members, is emphasized.

This episode launches our series on teaming and collaboration with a discussion about the importance of early intervention teams understanding their shared purpose, which is to work together to support families. We are joined by two guests: Rachel Moyer-Trimyer, Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, and Cori Hill, Project Director and Early Intervention Training Specialist from Virginia’s EI professional development team with the Partnership for People with Disabilities at VA Commonwealth University. We explore what it looks like when teams share this purpose and strategies you can use to facilitate this shared understanding with colleagues and family team members.

Description: In our final episode in this series, we hear from an early intervention program supervisor and practitioners who have also been parents receiving intervention. They share their thoughts and experiences as they answer the question, “What does functional assessment mean to you?” 

In this episode, we discuss how to integrate ongoing functional assessment into your work with families during service delivery. We describe why and how to conduct it as a collaborative process with a family and model this process by discussing a challenging situation. We  review how the components of functional assessment help you monitor progress, address outcomes in family activities and interactions, be responsive to family updates and changing priorities, and help the family reflect on their efforts with their child during and between visits.

In episode 6, we discuss how functional assessment contributes to the development of the initial Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). We imagine different scenarios that illustrate (or do not illustrate) functional assessment practices during this important part of the early intervention process.

In episode 5, we discuss implicit biases and the importance of building our awareness of how our experiences and perceptions affect what we bring to functional assessment. We define implicit bias and discuss how to recognize it in the context of interactions with families. We also emphasize the importance of reflecting on how bias impacts our perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes so we can be more successful with “meeting families where they are.”

In episode 4, we define active listening and discuss the importance of listening to families as they share information. We explore examples and strategies to help early intervention practitioners build their active listening skills, emphasizing the HEAR model to guide practices. 

In episode 3, we discuss how to gather functional assessment information from families by asking meaningful questions. We consider differences between formal interviewing and informal conversations with families and delve into different types of questions, such as conversation openers versus closers and open-ended questions. Strategies are discussed to help early interventionists address challenges with gathering information and encourage families share what they know. 

In episode 2, we dive into the first component of functional assessment: observation. We define observation in the context of early intervention and consider how it helps us “watch to listen and learn.” We discuss observation during the initial evaluation/assessment and service delivery, emphasizing how observation helps us gather functional information about children, how they interact with family members, and what interests and motivates them – all without inferring meaning or judgement. We’ll also review tips for helping families understand the importance of observation.

In episode 1, we begin our discussion about functional assessment (FA) in the context of early intervention. We define FA and introduce important concepts such as conducting observation, asking meaningful questions, using active listening, and learning about how children interact and learn during daily activities. We talk about what ongoing FA should look like, compare it to traditional assessment, consider examples, and think about how to integrate it into your work with families.