Inquiring Families Want to Know: Engaging Families in the Outcome Rating Process

Inquiring Families Want to Know: Engaging Families in the Outcome

Rating Process

Hearing Family StoriesGaining Family Insight

Involving FamiliesAdapted from materials developed by

Naomi Younggren, 2011

Presenters:Shannon Dunstan, IDKathi Gillaspy, NECTAC/ECOPam Miller, MDJudy Swett, PACER/NECTACJennifer Zielinski, IDJennifer Barrett-Zitkus, IL

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Hearing Family Stories

• Empower families to be active members of the IFSP/IEP team

• Encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas with you

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Gaining Family Insight

• Setting the stage so families take an active role in interaction

• Listening• Asking good questions• Ask for feedback, invite

comments/reactions

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2012 Measuring and Improving Child and Family Outcomes Conference

Interviewing PointersWestby, Burda, & Metha, 2003

• Use open-ended questions

• Use restating – repeating the exact words

• Summarize and invite opportunities to correct

• Avoid back-to-back and compound questions

• Avoid leading questions

• Cautiously use "why" questions

• Listen more than talk

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Parent Roles

• Team Member

• Information Provider & Receiver

• Participant in the COS rating discussion

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Share Information Early & Often

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What We Should Expect from Family Involvement in the COS Rating?

• Yes! – They can provide rich information about their

child’s functioning across settings and situation.

• Maybe– They will know whether their child is showing

age expected skills.

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How Families Can Help

They know their child best. As a partner on the team they can provide information about how their child:• Gets along with family and friends • Manages feelings • Tries to do new things • Communicates new ideas • Tries to be independent • Seeks help when needed

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You can't handle the truth!*

• Families can handle the truth• We need to be able to share information with

them openly and honestly

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10* Col. Jessup, A Few Good Men

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Genuinely engage families in the entire process,

appreciate their strengths, and reach agreement with

them about their child.-Naomi Younggren

Talking with Families about Child Outcomes

Illinois Early Intervention Training Program

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Illinois

• 25 Point of Entries (Child and Family Connections)

• Designated Service Coordinator Model (450)

• Vender Model Provider Base (5,000)

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Introduction of Child and Family Outcomes Family

Provider

Service Coordinator

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Service Coordinator Overload

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Illinois EI Training Program Shift

Family

Service Coordin

ator

Child and Family

Outcomes

Provider

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Online Trainings

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Online Trainings• System Overview Online • Understanding the Illinois Child Outcomes Process

Online Training • The Impact of Early Intervention on Families Online

Training

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Face to Face Training

• System Overview Follow-Up Face to Face

• Outcomes in Action Follow-Up• EI Sponsored Trainings• EI Institutes• EI Cohorts

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Provider Forums and LIC Meetings

• Local Provider Meetings• Local Interagency Meetings

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Direct Opportunities for Family Support on Child Outcomes

• Referral • Intake (Routines –Based Interview )

• IFSP Meetings (Decision Tree)• Monthly Contact• Exit

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Resources

• ECO Outcomes Video • ECO Center Website• Decision Tree• EI Training IFSP Video• Illinois Training Newsletter and Web Site• Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse• Project Enhance

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Embedding the ECO Process into Early Childhood IEPs

Side by Side ComparisonSurvey Response

• 70% proficient or expert

• 64% and 59% used team at entrance and exit

• 88% collected AA, IF, and F

• 71% used the decision tree

Practice Evidence

• 3% met minimal compliance

• 77% and 86% used team process at entrance and exit

• 26% in 2012 and 20% in 2011 AA, IF and F documented

• Rating matched Evidence provided 10% 2012 and 8%

Paperwork, just another form more work not related to services provided just what the state says to do not relevant, not a useful tool more time, not enough time to process paper ECO areas are very broad in comparison to

IEP goals team does not want to take the time so do it

alone not valued by the team to subjective program will not change if ECOs goes away takes time away from teaching

current practice lacks, not a true picture of child

progress with most challenging students is not reflective in ECO reporting

outcomes do not reflect minimal growth of severe students

data is more important for developing goals and intervention then reporting outcomes

easier to see growth in IEP but not on an anchor assessment

Redundant takes time way from kids; more meetings

that takes time away from students

Early Childhood Outcomes are NOT Meaningful

unrealistic to get every parent to give input not parent friendly too long, too many steps do difficult to sit with family and develop IEP

and fill out ECOs information makes families really sad to hear skills child

is lacking too much grief for parents

do not understand the need for ECO document

ECO is only used to gather information and functional outcomes come out of the IEP as a team process

COSF forms takes a lot more prodding of parents for information

difficult for parents to answer the question what are my child’s strengths, hard for parents to articulate concerns

how much parent input do we need parents don’t know how to make sense of

their child in regard to education parent is not a valuable member until parent

teacher conferences gathering information from parents is good

but not actuate for goal outcome without extensive observations

Teachers thoughts regarding Parent Input

So What to Do?

Partnering with Parents

Parent Trainingand

Information Center

Partner with Idaho State Department of Education

• Educate, train and provide information to parents

• Ensure parent involvement

• Parent participation in decision making and planning

www.idahotc.comFind the following on the ITC:• Online Learning Community

– Early Childhood

• eGuidelines

• Early Childhood Outcomes

• Transitions

• IEPs

• Best Practice

• Least Restrictive Environment

Housed at: Center on Disabilities and Human Development, University of Idaho

Contact Information:

Shannon DunstanEarly Childhood & Interagency Coordinator

Idaho State Department of Education Division of Student Achievement and School Improvement

Division of Special Education(208) 332-6908

sdunstan@sde.idaho.gov

Engaging Families in the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process: A Framework

Engaging Families in the Child Outcomes Summary Process:Video Resource

39http://marylandlearninglinks.org/11695

Engaging Families in the Child Outcomes Summary Process: Video Viewing Guide

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Engaging Families:Locally Developed Resources

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Online COS Tutorial: Bringing It All Together

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Questions?

Thank you for coming!www.the-eco-center.org