Meeting 5, Belgium, 2009 November

Cooperation with parents in early intervention
Reference number: 2008-GRU-LP-PA-161
Grundtvig meeting in Belgium
16/11/09 to 19/11/09
De Kangoeroe, home-based early childhood intervention service
Kasterstraat 81, 9230 Wetteren, Belgium.
Content
1. Participants
2. Program of the meeting
3. Visit to MPI Landegem: school for children with motory
disabilities
4. Lecture Dr. Oostra: Follow-up survey premature born
children
5. From daycare to school
6. Goals of the project and plans for the future
7. Homevisits De Kangoeroe
Report of the homevisits
8. Meeting with parents
9. Lecture Maria Luisa Trindade
10. Evaluation of the meeting
1. Participants
Partner 1
SHFI- Sozial - und Heilpädagogisches Förderungsinstitut Steiermark
Institut for special educational and social promotion Austria
Ulrike Huber [email protected]
Elisabeth Maier [email protected]
Rosi
Partner 2
Sorlandet support centre for special needs education Norway
Kirsten Ruud [email protected]
Else
Audhild Nonslid [email protected]
Arlene
Partner 3
De Kangoeroe vzw Belgium
Dirk Mombaerts [email protected]
Carla Schacht [email protected]
Lieve De Weerdt [email protected]
Leen De Coensel [email protected]
Ellen Verspeeten [email protected]
Nadine.Bogaert [email protected]
Els Van Hoorde [email protected]
Anneleen Boon [email protected]
Sandrine Carette [email protected]
Emily Vlerick [email protected]
Sylvie Bral [email protected]
The parents of
Jitske, Jef, Ward, Luna,
Partner 4 (non official)
Cooperativa de Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos Inadaptados de
Montemor-o-Novo Portugal
Maria Luisa Trindade [email protected]
Tadera
2. Program of the meeting
Monday 16/11/O9
Tuesday 17/11/09
9u
MPI Ten
Dries/Landegem
Dr. Oostra: Follow-up
premature children
Visit MPI Landegem:
school for children with
motory disabilities.
lunch
De Kangoeroe
14u Goals of the project
19.30u meeting and
dinner
Restaurant Nestor
Kraanlei 17, 9000
Gent.
15.30-17u
Preparing pre-school:
Process of the parents
School-system
Support possibilities for
children with special
needs
discussion
Free evening
Wednesday 18/11/09
Homevisits
Thursday 19/11/09
Homevisits
lunch
lunch
13-16h
de Kangoeroe
Evaluation
Presentation of Luisa
Homevisits
De Kangoeroe
17.30 Dinner
20h
De Kangoeroe
SMOG
Meeting parents
3. Visit to MPI Landegem: school for children with motory
disabilities
After a very interesting exposure by Dr. Oostra, we got a tour around the MPI. It was very
nice for the Gruntvig people to actually go into the classes (the cooking lesson in the nursery
class, an individual moment with a speech therapist, a demonstration by one of the pupils
with a computer used to communicate…).
We took a look at the boarding school, the rooms where physical therapy is given, we saw
other therapy classes and it was explained a bit how a week of an individual child on the
school looked like. There was also time to ask questions.
4. Presentation Dr. Oostra: Follow-up survey premature born
children
5.From daycare to school (presentation De Kangoeroe)
4. CHOICE
In home-visits we talk about the possibilities
 Sometimes we make a list together:
 What is positive on a regular school , what is
negative. Wat is positive on a special school ,
what is negative.
 We help to see the pro and contra’s
 The parents decide!! We can give our opinion but
the final decision is for the parents.

6. FOLLOW-UP AND SUPPORT
In the first week children go to school we call the
parents to hear how it goes.
 Home-visits
 Visit to the school
 Meetings with the parents and the professionals
who work with the child (two times a year)

THOR GOES TO SCHOOL!

-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
1. Exploration:
Start Kangoeroe: Thor is 12 months, diagnosis:
spina bifida occulta.
Parents dream for a regular school for Thor.
Older brother Siebe goes already to school. They
want the same school for Thor.
Thor is two years, he can’t walk: parents ask in
school if it’s possible to go to the same school. The
first impression of the school is: ‘when he can
walk , he can come!’
Parents are scared that Thor can’t start…
2. Information
We start to collect information: We take a
development test and Thor is very intelligent.
In the spina-bifida team they also suggest a
normal school for Thor
3. Possibilities and choice
- For Thor a regular school is the best. He can go
to the same school of his brother.
The parents ask the kangoeroe to support them
with prepare the school for Thor

4.Prepare





There is a big meeting in school (parents, directie,
CLB, care-teacher, teacher of Thor and Kangoeroe)
We (parents and kangoeroe) give information about
Thor (not only about his special needs but also about
his personality) .
We look for special equipment in school: a good chair,
he wears dipers, a special bicycle, he can not do
stairs, special shoes,…
After all the information the school decide that Thor
can start!
5. Follow-up and support
- Thor had a good start in school, he is very
happy!
- We have a new meeting in two months
- Next year we start the G.ON project for extra
support in school.
CASE: INCLUSION

Torre: child with multiple handicap.
Dreams of the parents
 Prepare
 Support: PAB
 Follow up: meeting staff (integration with peers,
special equipment, …)
 Special school

5. Goals of the project and plans for the future

Objectives of the project
In the past meetings we’ve worked on different goals written in the Grundtvig program
(cfr Gundtvig programme application form)
1. Early intervention legislation in each country. European Legislation.
2. Families as active partners in the intervention of their child
3. Homevisits
4. Learning within child’s daily environment
5. Differences between clinic, educational and family-centered models
6. The art of empowering the family
7. Which other partnerships must be included in an early intervention service
8. Costs and resources of EI
9. Effects of the intervention on the family
In the future meetings we still have to work on
1. Multicultural issues in EI (dealing with families of ethnic minorities and migrants)
2. Assessment of the interaction between children and parents (family centered
practices to assess the child)

Global evaluation
Each service have to make an evaluation about the changes, the improvement of their
service , their way of working with families caused by the Grundtvig project.
We need to make this evaluation in the last meeting in Austria (may 2010).
6. HOMEVISITS
Wednesday 18/11
Elisabeth and Rosi
Lieve
Jadera and Luisa
Carla
Audhild
Else
Leen
Ellen
Kirstin
Nadine
Arlene
Dirk
Ulrike
Els
Wednesday 18/11
Ulrike
Carla
Else
Els
Elisabeth
Lieve
Kirstin
Anneleen
Audhild
Sandrine
Rosi
Ellen
Arlene
Emily
Jadera
Nadine
Luisa
Dirk
Thursday 19/11
Luisa and Jadera
Lieve
Ulrike
Leen
Elisabeth
Carla
Arlene
Els
Kirstin
Ellen
Audhild
Nadine
Else
Sylvie
Rosi
Emily

Lukas
We went to see Lukas, a boy of 13 months who is diagnosed with Prader Willi. Lukas
evolved a lot during the last 3 months. We worked on his moving skills (roll over,
standing, getting from the knee to standing…) in combination with toys (putting a ball
in a holl, opening and closing a box). Else mostly looked at what I was doing. She
didn’t really say or interfered much.

Jason
Jason is a boy who’ s 1 year old and has a global retardation. There are 3 children in
the family and all 3 are having developmental problems. We knew the family already
because we guided Shania ( the youngest sister off Jason).
During the home visit I explained the parents the importance off laying on his
stomach and the possibility to move free. The mother wants to keep him small and
still treats him like a baby by carrying him everywhere she go’s or putting him in a
baby-seat. I explained that he can’t develop if he’s always in this chair or on the
mother’s lap.
I showed the parents :
-
how they can play with him while he’s laying on his stomach
how to bring him from there into sitting position.
How to learn him to roll and how to stimulate that with toys
How to stimulate active sitting
I also showed some things whit a doll ,so the mother could try it out with Jason and I
could correct her.
We discussed some toys that the parents wanted to buy for his birthday .
I also brought a chair whit me which shall stimulate him more into an active sitting
position .It gives him a chance to play in sitting position with a table in front off him
where he has his hands free to manipulate toys.

Jolien
Jolien is a girl who’s 6 weeks old and is born with 1 leg and a short left arm with a clumphand. On her right hand she only has 4 fingers . The mother has a muscular disease
(Steiner) and is in a depression for which she takes medication.
The parents have a lot of questions about the future ; how she’s going to sit? Will she be
able to walk with a protease? Can we go out with her?
I explained that it is very difficult to predict her development and that we have to take it
one step at the time. For know it is very important to give her a good symmetrical
posture and that , while she’s sleeping but also when they carry her or feed her. I also
showed some different ways to carry her and to lay her on her stomach.
There was a lot of administration to do because the parents had waited until we could
help them to fill them in.
There is also a lot of anger and disappointment in the medical world. They believe that
the doctor should have seen the problems before she was born. It is a part off there
processing.

Lara
During the homevisits we went to Lara. Lara is 13 months and has a delayed motore
development. She was operated when she was 4 months from tetralogy Fallot.
We saw Lara at the daycare centre. It was the first time I went there, so the setting was
new to me too. She was lying on her belly when we came in. Normally Lara absolutely
doesn’t like to lie on her belly. She was interested in Rosi. Rosi spoke to her in German
(Lara’s mother speaks Swiss).
We tried to get Lara to reach for toys in a circle around her. We also tried to get het to
roll over. Lara protested every time we tried a motore exercise. Rosi asked if her hips
were already examined. She showed some exercises to move her hips and make it seem
like a game to Lara. It worked, for a while.
I thought of the homevisit as very interesting! Mostly the chats we had in the car. I
learned more about their way of working and for Rosi, she had never seen a daycare
center like that before!

Emile
Emile is a boy with CMV. We did stimulation with sound-effects and try to make
combinations of feeling-hearing , feeling-watching, hearing-watching. The coordination of
doing two things of the same time is going better for Emile now. He had a lot of fun in the
home visit.
We talked about the schools for Emile and the different possibilities.

Yaron
There was a crisis in the family. Problems in the behavior of Yaron. We talked with the
mother and the grandparents.
Odile’s impression was that the grandparents decide al lot for the mother. We have to make
the mother stronger to take her mother-role. For Yaron is not easy to grow up between
three adults. It has to be clear for him that his mother decides what is possible and what not.

Madelief
Together with the mother we played with Madelief en looked what things she can do for her
age. The mother talked about the signing with Madelief . She’s doing good now! There was
a good contact between Madelief and Ulrike. We worked with puzzles, cubes, fine motoriek,
books,…

Laura
Laura doesn’t talk much. She only says words like mum, dad, ‘broem’,.. Laura makes a good
contact and is understandable. She has a strong body language.
Besides this she also doesn’t eat pieces.
The goal of the home visit was to give tips to stimulate the talking: we talked about smog.
The last time I came, I asked the mum, to try to give a piece of bread, or cookie,.. She told us
that Laura would eat a cookie, but she seems to be swallowed by all other pieces of food.
She has an appointment with Dr. Van Winkel.
Tips that Kirstin gave me:
 Stimulate the area round the mouth:
*put some choco or something sweet for example at the cheek, so that she have to
stick her tongue out to like it
*put some lipbalsem on the lips, so that she is aware of her mouth
*show pictures with funny faces so that she will try to make the same face
 use smog

Quinten
I had a home visit at Quinten’s house and was accompanied by the Two Portugese Grundtvig
members ( luisa and Tadeia )
It was only my fourth visit to Quinten. He has a chromosomal disorder with poor head
control and a hydrocephalic head. The mother just heard that he will need an operation to
solve the increasing fluid in the head. Because of this Quinten is very easily agitated, he has a
hard time sleeping and is very restless.
The mother is very interested in the tips to stimulate the head and trunk control and comes
easily to work with Quinten and to take over. Quinten also likes the stimulation and
participates well. It’s necessary to stop in time as he is easily agitated. He falls a sleep
afterwards.
On the way back Luisa explained me about Mc Williams. He made a study that shows that
having the parents to work with the child results in 80 % of the outcome for the child. If the
caregivers work directly with the child the outcome will be only 20
%.
She was very pleased to see how the mother interacted with the child and how the tips and
advice found their way to the parent and therefore to the child.

Ayse and Cemil
This visit took place at the school and I was accompanied with Elisabeth (Austria).
Ayse Dudu and Cemil are twins. Ayse Dudu started in September at school, while Cemil just
started in November. They both were extreme premature. Ayse Dudu has cerebral palsy.
She’s a very clever girl, but has motor problems: she walks alone but for longer distances
with a kaye walker, she has spasticity. Cemil has had severe long problems, stayed in a sea
preventorium for over a year and was very weak and rather hypotonic. He also had a general
delay, especially on speech.
The visit was mostly to observe how they both are doing at school ( in the classroom and on
the playground) and to support and inform the teacher.
When Ayse Dudu first started at school the teacher had a lot of practical questions and was
very anxious to do something wrong. She was overprotecting. This way she had no time left
for the other children and she was a bit overwhelmed. By using the practical tips it worked
better and the teacher felt more at ease. She thinks it’s very helpful to have this advice and
information.
Cemil has started very well. He doesn’t need much extra care. He’s quiet, but interacts in the
group. His fine motor skills have improved and he will work well to finish a task.

Sil
Sil doesn’t like playing alone. He plays with you, because you are there, but when you stop,
he stops. We are looking for different things to play together, and later on, alone. I brought a
farm with different animals. Sil was sitting between Arlene and me. At first he was a bit shy,
but after a few minutes, he wanted Arlene to play with him. When he got his medication, he
played with plasticine for distraction. Sil interacted also in this game with the both of us.
It was nice to have somebody from Norway with me, because the child uses the signs
(SMOG). Arlene asked the mother a lot of questions about it, and the mother was capable of
explaining everything in English. It was nice to see that Sil also uses self-invented signs. For
example, using the ventilator with aerosol to clear the airways: he pretends holding the
machine and makes a buzzing sound. It was a rather short homevisit, because they had to go
to the doctor.

Sam
Sam has problems describing things, so we brought some little pictures to let hem talk
about, for example a dirty dog, who gets in the bath and is clean afterwards. We played with
the farm to let him name the animals and see what he would do with it (fantasy). We also
played with color-puzzles. Rosi was very involved and wanted to know everything we all
(mother, Sam and I) were saying. When I was talking with the mother about the schools she
had visited, Rosi played with Sam: they walked around together, played with the farm,…
Rosi saw the walking-aid standing in the corner. She asked the mother if it was possible to
show how it works and it was not a problem, if Sam wanted to do it. Sam was very proud to
show it to all of us. The mother also gave some explanation about the standing-aid.

Insaf
Home visit at Insaf S. in Ronse. This second child within the Turkish family was born with
heart disabilities. She had several surgical interventions in order to treat these problems.
Now she’s showing a general developmental delay. Therefore the social assistance s “Child
and Family” referred her to our services for motor and mental stimulation. Mom only speaks
Turkish.
At the moment of appointment no one seems to be at home. There’s no reaction when we
try to call them by phone. Or the child has had an emergency and had to go to the hospital,
or the mother is afraid of opening the door because I have some strange people with me…
As an alternative we go for a little walk in the area and we have a good discussion about the
position of women in strange cultures and in problematical families,… How do we deal with
those cases?
Apparently in Austria they have similar problems…

Arno
Arno is a toddler of almost 2,5 years old. He shows the typical motor signs of a spastic
diplegia. The mother has a muscular disease herself that was diagnosed only a few years
ago. She thought Arno ‘s motor delay was due to her own disease. Only a few months ago
Arno’s diagnosis was set. The doctor physician didn’t explain much to the parents but
referred to our service for assistance and support.
The assistance at home has only started recently.
During the home visit with Elisabeth we mainly tried to make the parents understand that
the impediments on the feet and the bones were due to brain damage and that they weren’t
al localised problem as the parents used to believe. Both parents were present and reacted
very emotional as if this was the first time they really understood the diagnosis. They now
know that in spite of all therapies and remedies, the brain damage and resulting medical
problems will remain.
Despite the different language Elisabeth understood very well what was going on. Later in
the car she said: ‘it was as if of a sudden Arno was a different child to the them’…
Which gives me ideas what to discuss with them on my next visit…

Emma and Simon
They are a premature born twin of which the parents immediately got the message that
Emma would have a motor handicap of the right body half and that Simon probably would
remain with problems of the lower limbs.
The babies are 6 months old but have a developmental age of 3 months.
Both parents were present and they demonstrated learnt handling en positioning
competences.
Every now and then we had to attend, especially releasing the head appeared to be difficult
for them.
Luisa was very glad that she could finally take some pictures of primitive positions (mainly
ATNR). Until then she hadn’t been able to show pictures of these positions to her students.
I asked Jadera (also physiotherapist) what she did with children with similar problems. She
said she uses the same techniques.
Eventually it appeared that both Portugese TB’s have very little or no experience with
premature born brain damaged children. Jadera was very proud she brought up a twin of her
own. Pictures where shown… The atmosphere was very pleasant and cosy while the tired
out babies gently fell a sleep.
7. Meeting with parents
On Wednesday evening we organized a meeting with parents.
Parents who joined the family weekend and parents who joined the SMOG course were
invited that evening.
That evening we had two presentations:
1. Presentation about signing with young children (Norway)
2. photo slide show of the family weekend
The presentations were followed by a reception. So the members of the Grundtvig poject
and the parents could meet in an informal way.
8. Presentation Maria Luisa Trindade: Early intervention in
Portugal
Grundtvig Project
Early Intervention in Portugal
GHENT 16th to 19th, 2009
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Early Intervention in Portugal
1
National Context
North
Center
Area- 92.389 km²
Population-+10.000.000
Lisbon and
Tagus Valley
Inhabitants
Alentejo
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Algarve
Early Intervention in Portugal
2
Joint Order 891/99
Recognizes the need for:
 Team-work – with teams being dimensioned
according to local needs and on a transdisciplinary
basis
 Special training in developmental and EI related
issues
 An Individualized intervention plan to be developed
and implemented according to a family-focused
philosophy
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Early Intervention in Portugal
6
Joint Order 891/99
 Rather than focusing only on the education of the
child clearly identifies the family as the locus for
planning and delivering EI services
 Defines a structure, taking in consideration
flexibility, coordination, articulation of resources
 Defines who pays what
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Early Intervention in Portugal
7
Executive Order nr. 281/2009
• October 6th
• The subject-matter of this Executive
Order, taking into account the principles shed in
the United Nations Convention about Children’s
Rights and within the scope of the Action Plan
for Integrating People with Disabilities or
Handicaps 2006-2009, is the creation of an
Early Childhood Intervention National System
(SNIPI).
Article 1
Subject-matter
• 1 – This Executive Order creates an Early Childhood
Intervention National System, hereinafter called
SNIPI, which consists of an organized set of institutional
and family-like entities, in order to assure developing
conditions of children with body functions or
structures, which restrict personal and social
growth, assure participation in the age typical activities, as
well as children that may be at a severe development
delay risk.
• 2 - SNIPI is developed through a coordinated course of
action between the Ministries of Employment & Social
Solidarity, Health Care and Education, together with the
engagement of families and communities.
Article 2
Scope
• SNIPI covers children between 0 and 6
years old, with changes in body functions
or structures that restrict their participation
in age typical activities and in their social
context, or that may be at a severe
development delay risk, supporting
families as well.
Article 3
Definitions
•
•
For the purpose of this executive order, it’s considered that:
a) «Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)” is a set of integrated service
delivery measures, child and family centered, including actions of
preventive and rehabilitative nature, namely in the sphere of action
of education, health care and social action;
•
b) «The Risk of changings or changings in the body functions and
structures» is the one that restricts the children’s normal
development and their participation, taking into account the related
development referrals, depending on age and social context;
•
c) «Risk of Severe Development Delay Risk» is the existence of
biological, psycho-affective and environmental conditions, which
may encompass a high probability of serious delay in the child’s
development.
Article 4
Goals
•
•
•
•
•
•
SNIPI has the following goals:
a) Guaranteeing children the protection of their rights and the
abilities’ development, through ECI actions, throughout the entire
national territory;
b) Screening and referring every child at risk of changings or
changings in the body functions or structures, or at a severe
development delay risk;
c) Intervening, after screening and referring in pursuance of the
previous point, and according to the needs of family context of
each eligible child, in order to prevent or reduce risks of
development delay;
d) Helping families accessing services and resources made
available by the education, health care and welfare systems;
e) Engaging the surrounding community, through the creation of
articulation mechanisms concerning social support.
Putting the legislation
into our practice:
Creating a strong Early
Intervention Network in
Alentejo
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Early Intervention in Portugal
13
Early Intervention in
Alentejo
Main Goal:
Develop a coordinated, betweenservice and transdisciplinary
programme, using community
resources, in order to provide a
service adapted to the children’s
needs and that ensures a familycentered intervention.
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Early Intervention in Portugal
14
Organization of the Alentejo
Network
Representatives of the 3
ministries (Health
Care, Education and
Employment and Solidarity)
Representatives of the 3
Ministries and one
representative of the
promoting Institutions
Direct
Intervention
Teams
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Early Intervention in Portugal
15
Professionals in Alentejo
Técnicos envolvidos - 2008
80
74
70
60
50
40
30
20
20
10
4
19
26
22
19
14
12
10
10
7
8
3
1
5
0
0
3
2
0
Tempo Completo
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Tempo Parcial
Early Intervention in Portugal
17
Professionals in Alentejo
Técnicos envolvidos - 2008
80
74
70
60
50
40
30
20
20
10
10
4
19
26
22
19
14
12
7
10
8
3
1
5
0
0
3
2
0
Tempo Completo
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Tempo Parcial
Early Intervention in Portugal
17
IP NO DISTRITO DE ÉVORA
15 EIDs
Intervenção Precoce de
Montemor-o-Novo
PORTUGAL
18
Early Intervention in
Montemor-o-Novo
Montemor-o-Novo
Teams’
Logo, created in
1996
Vendas Novas
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Early Intervention in Portugal
19
Our Beginning…
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Early Intervention in Portugal
20
First Step in 1992
Coimbra model
and
support from
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Early Intervention in Portugal
Neuropediatrician
(Dr. Luis Borges)
21
Now…in 2009
Two local teams:
8
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
Early Childhood Educators
Speech Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists
Psychologists
Social Worker
educational assistant
Nurses
Cercimor-Promoting
Institution (agreements with
Social Sec. and Health
Regional Care)
Health
Care
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Early Intervention in Portugal
Education
22
How do we Work?
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Early Intervention in Portugal
23
How does the team work?
From the Referral to the Intervention
REFERRAL TO
THE PROGRAMME
FIRST CONTACT
TEAM (2 persons)
BEGINNING OF
THE
INTERVENTION
PLANIFICATION
(IFSP)
18-01-2010
-Programme
Presentation
- Needs and Priorities
of the family with the
child
-Case eligibility
TEAM MEETING AND
SELECTION OF THE
CASE MANAGER
Early Intervention in Portugal
24
Where we work?
Service contexts
Child /family home
Day care
Kindergarten
Workroom in our service
Or any other places the family may
choose…
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Early Intervention in Portugal
25
Principle-based Practices :
•
•
•
•
•
Ecological Perspective;
Family-Centered;
“Strengths”-Based;
Relation-focused;
Reflexive.
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Early Intervention in Portugal
26
The Four Key Principles We Use
to Understand this Model
• It’s the family that influences the child and we
can influence the family
• Children learn throughout the day
• All the intervention for the child occurs between
visits
• It’s maximal intervention the child needs, not
maximal services
(McWilliam)
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27
Who Has How Much Influence on What?
40-50%
Caregiver
Competence &
Confidence
Professional
support
88%
Child outcomes
10-12%
McWilliam, 2003
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28
How many children we
support during the year
of 2008?
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29
Crianças apoiadas em 2008
49
44
29
18
20
9
Montemor
0-2 anos
V.Novas
3-5 anos
+ 6 anos
169 CRIANÇAS APOIADAS NOS DOIS CONCELHOS NO ANO DE 2008
…and during October
2009?
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Two case studies :Vanessa and Pedro
“I am equal to you in the
difference”
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Referral
Pedro
Vanessa
Referenced in: 9/10/08
Referenced in: 8/10/08
AGE: 32 months
AGE: 4 years old
Referral Entity:
Health Care (Child Psychiatrist)
Referral Entity:
Education System (Titular
Educator)
Reason:
Communication and Relational
Disorders
1st Contact made by the Team:
15/10/08 (Montemor-o-Novo)
18-01-2010
Reason:
Language and communication
disorder
1st Contact made by the team:
15/10/08 (Vendas Novas)
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Characterization
Name: Pedro
Name: Vanessa
D.O.B.: 5/02/06
D.O.B.: 8/10/04
Location: Montemor - o - Novo
Location: Vendas Novas
Nuclear family: Mother, Father and
brother
Nuclear Family: Mother, Father and
brother
2nd sibling (phratry)
2nd sibling (phratry)
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In Common…
- Placed in Kindergarten
- Follow-up by Child Psychiatry
- Same diagnosis: Communication and
Relational Disorder
- Parent’s interest in their child problem
- Always welcome at the child’s home
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IFSP Beginning
(Individualized Family Support Plan)
Gathering of parent’s concerns and questions
Parent’s common concerns: “….he/she doesn’t
speak…”
Vanessa’s Parents:
Pedro’s Parents:
-“…we thought he didn’t
hear, but he does… so, why
doesn't he speak?
-“…the father’s brothers have
engagement/behavior
problems…”
-“Why does he ask for things
through our hands?
-“…our daughter seems like she
doesn’t see and hear …”
-“…he doesn’t eat at all…”
- “…doesn’t always respond
when we ask her for something…”
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Intervention Contexts
The contexts chosen by the families were:
- Home,
- Kindergarten,
- Early Intervention workroom.
The Planification/evaluation meetings with
parents took place in the programme
headquarters and at home.
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Main Goals of Intervention
-
Help to prioritize the specific goals defined between parents and
technicians, according to the child’s development and interests;
-
Enabling parents to cope with their child’s problem
“Communication and Relational Disorder”;
-
Promote communication situations within the different routines of the
child/family, electing the family as the communication partner;
-
Explain the importance of “playing as a way to interact and as a
learning moment”, facilitating child - family interactions;
-
Make parents aware of the importance of generalizing learning
opportunities, within the several daily routines.
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Some of the Intervention
Techniques
•
Shared responsabilization
•
Floor-time- is an approach to play, that focuses on personal
interaction rather than behavior;
•
Coping – adaptation strategy. The goal is to manage a problem
and modulate the emotional response to that problem.
•
Modeling – Explain how it’s done, ask the family if they want to
try it, demonstrate if it’s necessary, prompt the family’s
involvement.
•
Sensorial integration
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Results
(Parent’s perspective)
- Happier about the increased interactions with
their children, within a different range of
contexts…
- Less anxious when it comes to facing changes…
- Their children throw less tantrums…
- Feel that their children look for their peers and
play with them…
- Claim their children are more interested in the
surrounding environment…
- And above all: They are communicating!!! They
are speaking!!!
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Conclusions
Families…
- Happier;
- Less resistant to change;
- More capable of decoding and engaging in their child’s behaviors,
giving these behaviors a significance;
- More capable of taking initiative when it comes to decide which
strategies to use and more capable of generalizing activities,
becoming more participative families;
- Have a better understanding and security to choose the best way to
communicate with their children, on a persistent basis.
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Let’s take a peak at the lives of Pedro and
Vanessa!!!!!
Would you like to join us?
Thanks for your time!!!
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9. Evaluation of the meeting and preparation of next meetings
Evaluation
The meeting has been evaluated positive by the members.
Interesting points in:
-
Homevisits:
Interesting to see
the dual approach working model.
Focus on the families.
Give competence empowerment (empowerment) to the parents about handling and
education their child with special needs.
-
Meeting of the parents
The effect of the family weekend on the child, the parents and the siblings.
-
Follow-up premature children.
The research findings were considered as very interesting.
Preparation and planning of next meetings
Norway/Kristiansand
8/02—11/02
Program suggestions:

Austria Graz
Working with multicultural families
Second language
Munte Meo intervention with video
3/05—6/05
Program suggestions


Interaction child/parents
Portage program
Reflection of the Grundtvig meeting Belgium 16-19 th november
Which parts of the program were interesting for you?

Homevisits

Visit to the special school

Presentation about the premature survey
Which points are important for you and your work?
Which goals/ subjects do your prefer for the next meeting?