The Family's Role in Early Intervention Services: Resources

Did you know that you are the most important person in your child’s life? Research has shown that young children who have a strong attachment with an important adult (that’s you!) are most likely to grow up secure and happy. You know your child better than anyone else, so your input and participation in your child’s early intervention (EI) service plan is critical. In fact, you can greatly influence and support your child’s learning and development by working closely with your child’s EI providers. The following books, videos, Web resources, and articles are available from the Early Intervention Clearinghouse. These resources are all about your role in your child’s services. They should give you some ideas to discuss with your child’s EI providers.

Books

The Early Intervention Guidebook for Families and Professionals: Partnering for Success
Bonnie Keilty
Teachers College Press, 2010
Call Number: WS 350.6 K27e 2010
Online Catalog: http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/369296194
Keilty explains what early intervention looks like and how families can best partner with professionals so that young children can learn, grow, and thrive.

Supportive Parenting: Becoming an Advocate for your Child with Special Needs
Jan Starr Campito
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007
Call Number: WS 107.5 R5 C196 2007
Online Catalog:http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/84151385
Developmental psychologist and educator Campito draws on her own experiences as a parent to personalize the experience of becoming an advocate for one’s child. She explains how parents can work with communities of care to meet their child’s needs.

Special Children, Challenged Parents
Robert A. Naseef, PhD
Paul H. Brookes, 2001
Call Number: HQ 759.913 .N246 2001
Online Catalog: http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/46975159
Psychologist and father of an autistic child, Naseef addresses the question of how parents can deal with their own complex emotions while building a relationship with their special child and communicating with professionals.

Mothering Special Needs: A Different Maternal Journey
Anna Karin Kingston
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007
Call Number: WS 107.5 .R5 K55 2007
Online Catalog: http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/77797222
In a series of interviews with mothers of children with special needs, Kingston explores what it means to be a mother and how that translates into real-life experience, giving examples of good and bad practice when working with professionals.

Videos

A Child with Special Needs
30-minute DVD
Parents Action for Children, 2005
Call Number: WS 350.6 .C536dvd 2004
Online Catalog:http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/61106720
In this video, families of children with special needs share their stories to help other parents understand what to do when they find out that their child has a special need, how to find answers to their questions, how to advocate for their child, and how to focus on their child’s unique strengths.

Precious Lives, Meaningful Choices
41-minute DVD
Fanlight Productions, 2006
Call Number: WS 200 P923 2006
Online Catalog:http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/182576075
In this video, four families discuss their journey of raising and caring for children who have progressive, life-limiting illnesses. Parents share their reflections on care assistants, medical staff, and embracing their children’s lives with courage and hope.

Floortime DVD Training Series Volume 1
6-hour 25-minute DVDs (2 discs)
ICDL, 2005
Call Number: WM 203.5 G815t 2005 vol.1
Online Catalog:http://illinoisearlyintervention.worldcat.org/oclc/60530643
This training series introduces the Floortime approach for helping children to master the basics of relating and communicating. The creators of the approach demonstrate techniques that both follow the child’s natural emotional interests and challenge the child toward greater mastery of the social, emotional, and intellectual capacities.

Web Resources

How to Communicate Effectively with Early Childhood Professionals
Web site: http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/php-c159.pdf
This brief article provides suggestions on how parents can effectively help their child’s care team to better understand their child’s unique needs and priorities.

Caring Providers and a Loving Family Make a Difference: Harper’s Story
Web site: http://www.beachcenter.org/resource_library/real_story.aspx?intResourceID=2405&Type=story
 This resource relates a family’s description of their journey from the time their daughter, Harper, was born with Down Syndrome, to her transition out of an early intervention program. The site also includes video and resources recommended by the family.

Organizations

Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD)
Web site: http://www.frcd.org
Created by parents, professionals, and volunteers, FRCD seeks to improve services for all children with disabilities through parent training, special education rights seminars, and information assistance and support through telephone and mail requests. They also maintain an extensive list of Parent Support Groups, which can be found at http://www.frcd.org/pb_parent_coalitions_09.pdf

Family Matters Parent Training & Information Center
Web site: http://www.fmptic.org
Serving as a parent training and information center for Illinois residents outside of Chicago, this organization seeks to empower parents to achieve the strongest possible outcomes for children with special needs through a toll-free help line, information services, and training opportunities. Parents can subscribe to a quarterly newsletter via the Web site, register for training events, and access other resources.

IllinoisParents.org
Web site: http://www.illinoisparents.org
IllinoisParents.org provides parents in Illinois with a variety of resources on early childhood, including statewide resources and resources organized by county.

Articles

Interventions for Toddlers with Autism: Buiding on the Parent-Child Relationship to Promote Joint Attention. Hannah Schertz & Michele Robb. (2006). Young Exceptional Children, 9(3), 20-27.
A mother who is also an early interventionist shares the story of how she discovered that her son had autism. The article describes a model that helped parents of three toddlers with autism to promote joint attention.

Early Intervention Matters: Part 3. Family-Centered Philosophy and the Role of the Family in Early Intervention. Susan Addison. (2004). Exceptional Parent, 34(1), 154. 
This article provides a brief summary and overview of family-centered philosophy and the position of the family in early intervention services.