OSEP Project Director’s Conference State Deaf Blind Projects Meeting July 24, 2008

 * Characteristics of coaching  * Proposed coaching strategies – NV  * DB project role in state coaching model  * Examples of distance coaching strategies  * Examples of current strategies  * Discussion/problem solving  * Topics – Back to Basics

Pilot Project Idaho Infant Toddler Program Idaho Department of Health/Welfare

 Interdependent team of highly-qualified practitioners required by IDEA, Part C Early Intervention Program  Issues with multiple providers ** Lack of coordination ** Poor teaming ** Different directions ** Plans not coordinated

 Involvement of multiple providers in a family’s life on a regular basis has been found to negatively impact family functioning  Focusing on services and multiple disciplines implementing decontextualized, child- focused, and deficit-based interventions has not proven optimally effective

 Independent, child-focused interventionists to members of family-centered teams that use a primary coach approach to minimize the disruptions in family’s lives  Dathan Rush and M’Lisa Sheldon, Center for Advanced Study of Excellence in Early Childhood and Family Support Practices, J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center, Morganton, North Carolina

 A multidisciplinary team where one member is selected as the primary coach, receives coaching from other team members, and uses coaching with parents and other primary care providers to support and strengthen parenting competence and confidence in promoting child learning and development and obtaining desired supports and resources Operational Definition of the Primary Coach Approach

 Type (i.e., coaching)  Content (i.e., natural learning environment practices)

 Everyday activities as sources of interest- based learning opportunities  Situation-specific experiences, opportunities, events that involve a child’s interaction with people, the physical environment or both which provides the context to learn  Taking a bath, feeding the dog, reading a book

 Strengthen the capacity of family members to promote their child’s learning/development  Jointly examine and reflect on current practices  Apply new skills and competencies with feedback  Problem-solve challenging situations

1) Identified team 2) Primary coach as team liaison 3) Coaching interaction style

 Early childhood educator and/or early childhood special educator  Occupational therapist  Physical therapist  Speech-language pathologist  Parents  Service coordinator  Additional members – DB Project staff

The primary coach is selected based upon desired outcomes of the family, rapport/relationship between coach and learner, and knowledge and availability of the primary coach and the family. The primary coach for a family should change as infrequently as possible.

Reasons for changing include a request by a family member or other care provider due to a personality conflict; or when a primary coach believes that even with coaching from other team members he or she is ineffective in supporting the family/care providers

 Primary coach receives coaching from other team members  Ongoing formal and informal interactions  Interactions may include observation, practice, reflection, feedback, and joint planning

 Include an opportunity for the parent or primary care provider to reflect on what he or she is doing to support the child in accomplishing priorities in the context of child interest-based learning activities  Each coaching interaction should include feedback by the practitioner that consists of evidence-based information and strategies to assist the parent and end with a joint plan

 All team members must be available to serve as the primary coach  All team members attend regular team meetings for the purpose of colleague-to colleague coaching  Joint visits should occur at the same place and time whenever possible with/by other team members to support the primary coach

 Six month pilot project  Up to five teams  Voluntary  Team training on November 13-14, 2008  DB project will become a team member according to need  Evaluation component

 Rural  Contractor volume  Time for regular meetings  Changing practice and changing minds