Seven Essentials For Family Professional Partnerships In Early Intervention

Family–professional partnerships are essential to early intervention practice (birth–age 3). However, building and sustaining these partnerships is complex work. This book is about digging deeper and looking closer at what it takes to have successful relationships with each and every family. The authors explore seven partnership concepts, brought to life through the words and perspectives of families and professionals themselves. New and veteran professionals can use the lessons learned from these accounts to more effectively work with families. Each chapter ends with Questions for Daily Reflection to help early intervention professionals continue to develop their practice. The final chapter describes themes that result from and span the seven concepts as well as the systems needed to support successful family–professional partnerships. Book Features: Provides a set of concrete practices for partnering with families. Presents authentic voices of families and professionals in action. Promotes enhanced reflection as readers apply the lessons learned to their work. Recognizes and highlights the individual nature of each family–professional partnership. Includes tools to help plan, implement, and evaluate the use of the practices described.

This guidebook on family–professional partnerships has been used as a go-to early intervention resource in university coursework, for inservice professional development, and as a support to families in (or considering) early intervention. This new edition has been completely revised to reflect recent research and respond to feedback that the author accumulated from users of the book, including practicing professionals and university instructors. With a focus on how families and professionals can collaborate effectively so that infants and toddlers (0–3) learn, grow, and thrive, chapters address: child learning and development, family functioning and priorities, early intervention as a support and not a substitute, and planning “what’s next” after early intervention. Specific components of early intervention—evaluation and assessment, program planning, intervention implementation, service coordination, and transition—are also discussed. This hands-on resource uses stories of families in early intervention to illustrate key concepts and provides checklists that readers can use to assess their experiences in early intervention. “This guidebook is my go-to source with families, professionals, and students. The newest edition expands upon an already exceptional book with the most recent policy and evidence-based practice recommendations. I can’t keep enough copies in my library.” —Susan Fowler, director, Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse “Supporting and empowering parents to help their infants and toddlers with delays and/or disabilities to learn and grow is key to future successes. Bonnie’s Keilty’s comprehensive work on the new edition of The Early Intervention Guidebook for Families and Professionals will help to insure that Part C Early Intervention around the country will stay focused on its work with and for families.” —Roxane Romanick, Founding Board Member Early Intervention Family Alliance

Discover the 7 key principles and associated practices for effective early intervention services--and start putting them into action today! This easy-to-use, fillable workbook reveals not only what every EI professional should be doing in their practice, but also how to do it, with practical tips, activities, and strategies they can use to improve their work with children and families right away. Based on specific recommendations from a workgroup of today's top researchers, this comprehensive resource walks readers through every key step of the early intervention journey with children birth to 3, from the crucial first meeting with a family to the child's transition out of intervention. Perfect for group training sessions or independent study, it's a great workbook to fill in, learn from, and then keep close at hand as a quick and easy reminder of best practices. WHY IT'S A MUST-HAVE: Identifies and focuses on the best of today's most successful evidence-based intervention approaches Helps professionals deliver high-quality services in natural environments Hard-to-find guidance on actual implementation of best practices Walks readers explicitly through every step of effective early intervention Interactive workbook format makes it easy to learn and reinforce recommended practices Empowers professionals to make positive change happen, on a personal and systemic level PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Sample scripts that model skillful interactions, helpful quick-reference checklists, engaging Give It a Go activities, realistic vignettes, and an in-depth family case study that lets readers practice identifying effective and ineffective practices. Practical guidance on the entire early intervention process! Referral Initial visits with the family Evaluation & assessment IFSP development IFSP implementation Supporting a smooth transition from early intervention A featured book in our Effective Early Intervention Kit!

Nearly all young children grow, learn, and develop within a family context, and many teachers, therapists, health providers, and students of these disciplines need to be better prepared to work with families of children who have special needs. For professors and staff development specialists working to sharpen the skills of students and working professionals in family-centered early intervention, a comprehensive, easy-to-use resource is essential. This informative textbook puts practical information on family-centered care, collaborative team building, and coordination of services into the hands of those who need it. Featuring a variety of learning aids and hands-on, field-tested activities, Partnerships in Family-Centered Care: A Guide to Collaborative Early Intervention offers straightforward guidance to enhance students' abilities to ensure the inclusion of families as primary members of the intervention team, provide services that address the priorities of the entire family, implement Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), identify and remove the "overlapping" of service delivery within the human services system, and coordinate the provision of services and supports in ways that take into account the unique resources and concerns of all families.

An Introduction to Young Children with Special Needs: Birth Through Age Eight is a comprehensive introduction to educational policies, programs, practices, and services for future practitioners serving young children with delays or disabilities in early intervention-early childhood special education (EI-ECSE). Thoughtfully addressing the needs of children at risk for learning or development delays or disabilities, revered authors Richard M. Gargiulo and Jennifer L. Kilgo offer evidence-based interventions and instructional techniques that provide students with a broad understanding of important theoretical and philosophical foundations, including evidence-based decision making, developmentally appropriate practices, cultural responsiveness, and activity-based intervention.

Early childhood is considered a critical but often vulnerable period in a child’s development where early identification and intervention can be crucial for improving children’s developmental outcomes. Systems and family-centred perspectives are vital to support families and build their capacities to lead normalized lives with improved family quality of life. This book explores the family-centred practices and systems factors which influence families’ experiences raising children with complex needs. It also considers the ways in which professionals can work with families to build and support parent and child competence. Conceptual and practical work from Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States present descriptions of and implications for different family system frameworks and early-childhood programs. Contributors in this edited volume bring together contemporary information that bridges the research to practice gap in supporting families of young children with disabilities or delays. Chapters include: Early Intervention for Young Children with Developmental Delays: Contributions of the Developmental Systems Approach Family Composition and Family Needs in Australia: What Makes a Family? Working with Families in Early Childhood Intervention: Family-Centred Practices in an Individualised Funding Landscape Family Systems and Family-Centred Intervention Practices in Portugal and Spain: Iberian Reflections on Early Childhood Intervention This book will attract the attention scholars of Parenting and Families; Child Development and Childcare.

This volume is directed toward research to practice issues related to partnering with families of children birth through age 5. This monograph and the next monograph focuses on family and school involvement issues in two age categories. This sixth volume analyzes family involvement practices across a variety of settings and programs at the early childhood level. The seventh monograph in this series addresses research and practices related to family–school issues in middle and secondary schools. The chapters address, to varying degrees, five themes based on the principles of familycentered partnerships: 1. Recognizing and respecting one anther’s knowledge and expertise; 2. Sharing information through two-way communication; 3. Sharing power and decision making; 4. Acknowledging and respecting diversity; and 5. Creating networks of support The monograph supports the accomplishment of these goals as a whole by providing important insights about exemplary programs and promising practices, informed by current research. Also it highlights policies and theoretical perspectives relevant to these aims. Individual chapters offer a variety of practical strategies and recommendations that families, early childhood practitioners, policymakers, and researchers can use to enhance their knowledge and strengthen their skills for partnering effectively.

Seven effective steps to help early childhood professionals build lasting partnerships with families.