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Module One: Becoming an Advocate
Mary Grady
Advocacy 411: Early Intervention
I am thinking of focusing my research paper on the following area: Early Intervention for zero to three year old. Some of the related topics I will discuss will be the importance of early intervention to young children. For my first assignment I interviewed the Family Support Specialist at my center and our Special Educational Consultant that comes into the center once a week. The insight I gained from my interview regarding EI; there is a need for the service in our area where I work. N.K. and L.S. spoke about how there is a need to develop a process that is better understood by our parents, finding ways for families to be effectively involved in the process and trying to help them to understand the process.
The insigth I gained from my interview regarding current advocacy efforts and needs in my area of interest is we have so many issues concerning Early Intervention; for finding ways to indentify the delays of the children, understanding the process of the brain during the process and the economy impact on the system if Early Intervention is started at a early age.
After my interview with L.S. and N.K. their information has influence me to do my research paper on Early Intervention for zero to three year old: (1) How/who refers children to Early Intervention, (2) do parents/school know about the different free service available and (3) communication/keeping staff informed.
Questions I would like my followers to answer for me are: How do you help parents to know that service is available for their child? How do you finbd ways to get your upper management to hear your cry about a child? How do you get Social Service to share information about children with behaviors? How do we finds ways to infomr and education our parents? Will have more later.
After all is said and done myinterview was very interestin and knowledgeable. I think it is critical to identfiy children while we can and get the help during their critical years zero to three in development. We need to develop a solid system that will easily identify children in need of service and make referrals early on so they receive adequate referral and are followed throuhg and we can keep a track of them in the system. Ms. N.K. explain the social service department at my school is trying to set a new program, I am going to be involved in the work of trying to set this up.
After sitting talking to these ladies about how important E I is to the development of children zero to three, thir has really influence me to research and find help to help young children and their families about E I.There is really a need for this.
The gae group I will concentrate on will be infants to three.
The websites I will use to compile my information at this time adding other later on: www.dhs.state.il.us/e/ http://www.zerotothree.org/, http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
How do you help parents to know that service is available for their child? How do you finbd ways to get your upper management to hear your cry about a child? How do you get Social Service to share information about children with behaviors? How do we finds ways to infomr and education our parents? Will have more later.
ReplyDeleteIn response to some of your questions I would like to give my advice (whatever that is worth to you!). I have worked in early childhood for 7 years now. I think the best way to inform families is for you to be informed yourself. You cannot know everthing about all services, so if you find yourself with a child that needs intervention, educate yourself and share this with the families. Know their limitations too. If they do not have access readily to the internet, do not give them things that require this. Meet their needs the best way you can.
Upper managment is the hard part, but being an advocate as we read for this module is about being a voice for people who don't have one. Be the thorn in the managments side, until something is done. I don't know what kind of organization you work for, but there are legal ways to get them to listen. Research and call on people who know and that can help you. Please let me know if I can help you in anyway in this class, I have worked with a lot of children and families on birth to three intervention and beyond. Best of Luck!
Thank you so much for your question I will take them and research the answers.
DeleteMary,
ReplyDeletePart of my job is the child find coordinator for our area. There are always struggles when it comes to early intervention. I have found that sometimes parents refuse services for a variety of reasons. One struggle that we face in our area are the number of referrals from DHS that turn out to nothing other than required reporting for them. We just met with the provider of services yesterday to see if there is any way possible for the intake workers for DHS to have the parents fill out an ASQ and then only refer the children that show concerns on that screening. Early intervention is the key to success it is just important to help educate parents on the successes as well as the impacts that it can make on their child (and family as well).
You are so right and I want to be apart helping to educate my parents about this subject. Our Family Support Specialist said she is having problems finding ways for parents to open up to her about their child problem and to follow up on the process.
DeleteGreat Job Mary - Kudos! You did it :)
ReplyDeleteI will be very interested in reading your research. We have a tendency to overlook the 0 - 2 year old population and every bit of research indicates early intervention is key with bridging the gap for children with special needs, especially with our autistic children.
Mary I really agree that early intervention is important.
ReplyDelete