The Early Childhood Personnel Center

Evidence-Based Practices:  Complete the Iris Center’s Evidence-Based Practices Part 1 module: Identifying and selecting a practice or program. Submit your responses to the following questions (adapted from the assessment section of the module):

• Define an evidence-based practice (EBP).
• List at least three benefits of implementing an EBP.
• List three areas that professionals need to think about when selecting an EBP. Discuss some considerations for each.
• Briefly describe the process you can use if you cannot find an EBP that matches your students and your resources.
• Imagine that you are a preschool teacher and want to expand the communication opportunities for a student. A colleague has recommended Social Skills Training, and another has recommended Bright Beginnings.
• Using more than one source, complete the EBP Comparison Worksheet.
• Based on your findings, describe the program you will use and justify your response.

Fidelity of Implementation:  Complete the Iris Center’s Evidence-Based Practices Part 2 module: Implementing a practice or program with fidelity. In a one-page summary, describe the importance of implementing an EBP with fidelity?

Social Narratives: Read the AFIRM Social Narratives Brief Packet that presents the evidence-based overview of social narratives. You will plan, develop, implement and revise two social narratives, one together with your family partner and one together with your preschool teacher partner.
Identify a social behavior for change that will result in positive social interactions and additional social learning opportunities for the child. Use the Social Narratives implementation checklist, found in the brief packet, as both a guide and as a self-assessment for both social narratives you create.

For both social narratives, submit the initial plan, revised plan, the final social narrative, and the implementation checklist. Write a two-page reflection about the experience, including feedback from the family and preschool partners.

Environmental Rating Scales:  Complete one of the following environmental rating scales: the FCCERS-3, the ITERS-3, or the ECERS-3, including scoresheet and profile. A summary of strengths and suggested classroom environment practices to target for change should be included in the profile.

Strategies to Build Relationships:  Alternative discipline strategies aim to address the root causes of challenging behavior by building strong and healthy relationships with children and improving their engagement with the learning environment. Strategies that are popular include positive behavioral interventions and supports, restorative practices, and trauma-informed practices. Take a closer look at these strategies and think about the following questions:

• How does the implementation of each of these strategies increase child engagement?
• How might each strategy improve overall child behavior?
• How might the strategies potentially decrease the number of children excluded from the learning environment for disciplinary reasons?
• What elements do the strategies have in common?

Complete a Functional Behavior Assessment:  With your preschool partner team, follow the process document and use the PTR forms to complete a functional behavior assessment for one child. Identify the data to collect and use a behavior rating scale. Complete the PTR checklists as part of the FBA process.

Observe Play:  In the preschool partner classroom, observe how children play on five different visits for 20 minutes each visit. Observe a variety of environments including outside play. Record your observations for each of the five visits. Think about the stages of object and social play and identify the stages observed. Include children’s conversations during play when possible. Write a three to five-page summary of your observations.

Characteristics of Coaching:  Watch the Hartford Foundation video: Foundations of Coaching in Early Childhood: Partnering with Parents and Professionals.  With your discussion group, talk about the characteristics of coaching. Define each characteristic and identify examples of each. Submit the characteristics of coaching, definitions, and examples to the instructor.

Assistive Technology Solutions:  Explore the assistive technology solutions at the fabricATE website (https://www.fabricate4all.org/). Select three assistive technology examples, develop a script of how you would share, and discuss each of the three examples with your partner family and partner preschool.

Implement and Assess and Revise Interventions and Instruction:  With your preschool teacher partner, implement the following:

• Using a UDL framework, a plan that scaffolds the child’s learning and engagement.
• Using a UDL framework, a plan that supports the child’s independence and includes small-group instruction.
• Using a UDL framework, a plan that expands the child’s communication skills within a dyad.

Using the data-driven decision cycle (e.g., plan, implement, assess, revise), reflect on the following questions for each plan:

• What worked?
• What would you do differently and why?
• What suggestions did your preschool partner share with you?

Plan, Implement, Assess and Revise Interventions and Instruction (This learning activity could also be used to address Components 6.1 and 6.3): Complete the AFIRM Module: Naturalistic Intervention (NI). The module provides an overview of NI and activity-based scenarios that promote real-world application. Use the NI Practice Guide to support understanding of key concepts.

With your family partner, use the step-by-step of the NI Practice Guide to plan an intervention that addresses the target behavior chosen by the family. Your plan should include coaching opportunities, modeling, and steps for the generalization of the target behavior. Once your plan has been approved by the instructor, you will use the plan to implement the intervention with the family and their child.

Use the NI implementation checklist as a self-assessment. Write a two-page summary about the implementation of the intervention and your fidelity.

Amsbary, J., & AFIRM Team. (2017). Naturalistic intervention. Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Center, University of North Carolina. Retrieved from http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/Naturalistic-intervention

The Practicum Applications are examples of learning experiences designed to promote knowledge and skill development for each component of each standard. They are intended to be idea prompts for field-based assignments for preservice and professional development, and adapted as needed.

The Practicum Applications:

• Should be incorporated across the curriculum and within each standard,
• Represent the age range from birth through five,
• Are sequenced from observation and reflection to implementation of practices with supervision,
• Should be implemented across home, school, and community settings.  

Supporting Knowledge and Skill Development

Knowledge: Observe an early intervention home visit for the evidence-based practices used with the child and family and reflect on the rationale for the selection and use of those practices.

Knowledge: Observe implementation of an activity (e.g., small group, whole group, center) for the evidence-based practices being implemented and reflect on the rationale for the selection and use of those practices.

Knowledge: Observe an early intervention coaching session and identify the strategies that the early interventionist employs to involve the family member in decision-making about which evidence-based practices to use for a specific developmental skill and/or activity.

Knowledge: Interview a preschool teacher to identify the evidence-based practices that are implemented in that classroom and the rationale for the selection of practices.

Skill: Develop a lesson plan that describes how fidelity measures will be used to collect data about the implementation of evidence-based practices.

Skill: Assist with a home visit or parent-teacher conference in which the evidence-based practices that are being implemented with the child in the preschool classroom are described and then jointly with the family determine which practice(s) could be implemented in the home to facilitate generalization of skills.

Skill: Develop and implement a small group or whole group lesson plan that includes evidence-based practices and reflect on the implementation of those practices.

Supporting Knowledge and Skill Development

Knowledge: Interview an early interventionist to identify the adult learning strategies they employ when partnering with families and other professionals.

Knowledge: Interview a family member who is participating in Part C services asking them to describe what the early interventionist does to engage them in the intervention sessions and reflect on the adult learning strategies described.

Knowledge: Observe an early intervention session, record, and reflect on the strategies (e.g., feedback, modeling, active listening, questioning) used to provide the family member with meaningful, relevant information that builds on what they already know.

Knowledge: Observe the strategies (e.g., feedback, modeling, active listening, questioning) a preschool teacher employs when coaching the paraprofessional to use specific strategies during a learning activity, record, and reflect on the strategies (e.g., feedback, modeling, active listening, questioning) based on adult learning principles.

Skill: Develop a plan to support the family in implementing evidence-based practices with their infant or toddler that align with the context for the child and family.

Skill: Develop a plan for using adult learning strategies when engaging families of children in a preschool classroom in a variety of interactions (e.g., home visits, parent-teacher conferences, group meetings).

Skill: Plan for, including the adult learning strategies to be employed, a home visit or parent-teacher conference to share the child’s progress data with the family, and assist in implementation using those strategies.

Skill: Plan and implement with the family, a social narrative for the child based on a target social behavior and reflect on how the social narrative impacted the child’s social interactions.

Supporting Knowledge and Skill Development

Knowledge: Interview a preschool teacher to identify what is included in plans to embed children’s IEP goals into the daily routines and activities and how the plans are implemented.

Knowledge: Interview an early interventionist to identify what is included in plans to embed children’s IFSP outcomes into the family’s daily routines and activities and how the family is involved in developing and implementing the plans.

Knowledge: Observe a toddler classroom and reflect on the learning environment as it relates to evidence-based practices.

Knowledge: Observe a preschool classroom and reflect on the learning environment as it relates to evidence-based practices.

Skill: Develop a plan for a child that demonstrates how IEP goals for that child will be embedded throughout the daily routines and activities.

Skill: Develop a plan for a child and family that demonstrates how IFSP outcomes will be embedded throughout the family’s daily routines and activities.

Skill: Complete an ITERS-R or an ECERS-3, analyze the results, and develop a plan for revising the learning environment based on evidence-based practices.

Skill: Develop a plan for embedding a child’s IEP goals into center activities, implement the plan, and collect progress data.

Supporting Knowledge and Skill Development

Knowledge: Observe in a Head Start classroom and describe elements in the learning environment that may support or hinder children’s social and emotional competence.

Knowledge: Observe in a preschool classroom and reflect on how multi-tiered systems of support are being implemented.

Knowledge: Interview a toddler or preschool teacher about their perspective on suspension and expulsion in early childhood settings and reflect on how their responses are consistent with or are not consistent with social-emotional development in young children.

Skill: Complete a functional behavioral assessment of a child in a preschool classroom, analyze the results, and develop a written summary report with recommendations.

Skill: Develop and implement a behavioral intervention plan to include progress data and reflect on the child’s progress on the plan’s objectives based on the progress data.

Skill: Develop and implement a social story for a child whose IEP has goals for social-emotional development.

Skill: Develop with the family, a social story to facilitate their toddler’s development for some aspect of social-emotional development as reflected in IFSP outcomes.

Skill: Develop and implement with the family during a Part C field placement, strategies, and a feelings word list to assist their child to communicate feelings and reflect on the results of this activity.

Supporting Knowledge and Skill Development

Knowledge: Observe a toddler or preschool classroom during outdoor play and describe the social and object play skills observed.

Knowledge: Observe a toddler or preschool classroom during center time and describe the social and object play skills observed.

Knowledge: Observe a child and family member during an early intervention session and reflect on the social and object play skills demonstrated and the strategies used by the early interventionist to support the family member’s interactions with the child during play.

Knowledge: Observe an early intervention session, identify toys or other objects in the environment that could be used to facilitate social and/or object play development, and describe how those toys or objects could be used to facilitate play development.

Knowledge: Observe a child’s play over time in different contexts (e.g., indoors in the home, outdoors – home or school, centers), record each observation, including the child’s conversations, and write a summary of the observations identifying the stages of the object and social play represented.

Skill: Develop and implement a plan to use peer supports to facilitate a child’s entry into and engagement in play in a learning center.

Skill: Develop and implement a plan to embed a child’s gross and/or fine motor IFSP or IEP outcomes/goals into outdoor play.

Skill: Develop and implement a plan for an early intervention coaching session focusing on the family member’s observation of the child’s cues to enter the child’s play as a means for implementing IFSP outcomes.

Skill: Observe center time over several days, recording for each center the number of children accessing it and for how long, what toys/materials are used, and what type of social play is demonstrated, analyze, and summarize the data, and make any needed changes in the learning environment to promote children’s play in centers.

Skill: With the family, developing a feelings vocabulary list to use in teaching the child to express their feelings.

Supporting Knowledge and Skill Development

Knowledge: Observe a child who uses assistive technology in a toddler or preschool classroom across different activities and routines, reflect on how the assistive technology is being used to facilitate the child’s access, participation, and engagement in the setting.

Knowledge: Observe an early intervention session in which the child uses assistive technology, reflect on how the assistive technology is being used to facilitate the child’s access, participation, and engagement in the family’s routines.

Skill: Implement and video a small group activity, watch the video, and reflect on use of positive responsive interactions with the children.

Skill: Facilitate and video an early intervention session, watch the video, and reflect on the use of positive responsive interactions with the child and adult(s).

Skill: Collect baseline and ongoing data on a child’s performance, analyze the data, and make any needed revisions in instructional supports or intensity of instruction.

Skill: Develop in collaboration with the preschool team, a plan as to how a child who uses augmentative communication can use that support across activities and routines.