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