Preparing Pre-Service Professionals
to work with Infants and Toddlers
with Special Needs and their
Families
Claire Vallotton, PhD ~ [email protected]
Trish Foster, PhD
Tamesha Harewood, PhD
Outline
 Competencies Framework for the Knowledge,
Dispositions, and Skills for Working with Infants and
Toddlers with Special needs (KiDS-WITS) Tool
 KiDS-WITS Assessment Tool
 Initial Study Results
 Application to Your Courses
Learning Objectives
 Participants will…
 describe the KiDS-WITS competency framework.
 identify three ways to use the KiDS-WITS assessment tool
to enhance training or coursework.
 generate ways to use the KiDS-WITS competencies and
assessment tool to enhance your own courses.
Inspiration:
Frustrations with My Own
Teaching
The KiDS-WITS Project
 What I need:
 Set of competencies to serve as learning goals
 Assessments of student competencies before and after
courses
 Knowledge, Dispositions, and Skills for Working with
Infants and Toddlers with Special needs (KiDS-WITS)
and their families!
What competencies do
practitioners need?
Pair & Share
 What do they need to know?
?
What are
Competencies?
Knowledge
Dispositions
Skills
Practices
Child &
Family
Outcomes
Development of the
KiDS-WITS Competencies
Alignment
with existing
competencies
Review by Early
On stakeholders,
feedback and
additions
Review
existing
competencies
to develop
initial set
Expert panel
review to
narrow set of
competencies
Broad
stakeholder
survey to
confirm scope
& choose most
critical
competencies
Three Competency
Dimensions
Competency Sets
Review Competencies
Handout:
?
•
•
Circle key concepts you try to
teach, train, or mentor
Star the ones you think are MOST
important
Number of Competencies
Knowledge
Dispositions
Skills
5
2
3
II. Family Centered Practice with
Families of Infants and Toddlers
with Special Needs
3
4
2
III. Local, State, and National Policies,
Programs, and Procedures for
Supporting Infants and Toddlers
with Special Needs and their
Families
3
1
2
I.
Strength-Based Approach to
Supporting Development &
Learning for Infants and Toddlers
with Special Needs
Top 5 Competencies Identified
by Stakeholders
Stakeholder Ranking of Most Important Competencies
I.K.1. Typical development across
domains: Sequences of skills and…
II.S.2. Family-centered practice
II.D.4. Collaborative approach to
working with families and other…
I.S.1. Uses observation to learn
about individual children
II.D.1. Values the principles of
family-centered practice
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
KiDS-WITS Assessment Tool
 Reviewing the competencies you circled …
 How do you know you are successful in
reaching the learning goals you’ve set for
your students?
 How do you measure your success?
?
Development of the
KiDS-WITS Assessment Tool
 Reviewed existing literature for relevant measures
 Most prevalent were attitudes and self-efficacy
 Drew from key documents, e.g.:
 Early On training materials
 Seven Key Principles of Family-Centered Practice
 Developed initial items with working advisory group
Occupational Therapist and OT Instructor
Early child educator
Early On service provider
Specialist in early communication disorders and training of parapros
 Special Education teacher
 Expert in development of children who are d/hh
 Expert in early child education workforce development




 Piloted in Fall 2015 – 40 students
 Revised accordingly
 Tested in Spring 2016 – 275 students
Participating States &
Schools






Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Grand Valley State University
Michigan State University
Wayne State University
Western Michigan University
What KiDS-WITS Measures
Child
Family
Knowledge • Sequences of
•
skills across
domains
Red flags vs
sequences
Dispositions • Strength-based
approach to
supporting
learning
---
•
•
Observing and
assessing young
children
Self-efficacy in
supporting
development
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Skills
Policy
Value family-centered
practice
Strength-based view of
families
Respect for family role
Collaborative
approach with families
•
Family-centered
practices
•
Self-efficacy in family
engagement
•
IDEA
Person-first
language
Early On
Belief in the
values and
efficacy of
inclusion and
inclusive
practices
--•
Self-efficacy in
inclusion
practices
KiDS-WITS Sample Items
 Go to:
 www.socrative.com
 Student Login
 Enter Room Name:
 FOSTER8218
 Enter Name:
 Enter your initials (e.g. TF)
Knowledge Items
 Provide your response to the sample Knowledge items
on the quiz
 How do you think our students responded?
Developmental Sequences
vs Red Flags
Know: Development
Sequences
MI
Non-MI
Know: Red Flags
0%
25%
50%
75%
Average Percent of Items Correct
100%
What do our Students Know about
each Developmental Domain?
Knowledge of MI and Non-MI Participants
Know: Language
Know: Motor
MI
Know: Cognitive
Non-MI
Know: Social-emotional
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Average Percent of Items Correct
Knowledge of Policy and
Programs
Know: IDEA
Know: Person-First Language
MI
Know: Early On Policy
Non-MI
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Average Percent of Items Correct
Knowledge Gap:
IDEA Parts B & C
What does IDEA stand for?
What is IDEA?
What are Parts B and C of
IDEA?
What is IDEA Part C?
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Percent of Students Answering Correctly
Disposition Questions
 Provide your response to the sample Disposition items
on the quiz
 How do you think our students responded?
Beliefs About Children
Children are motivated to learn because they
want to master their environments.
44.9
55.1
All children are naturally motivated to learn
and grow.
43.3
56.7
All children have the potential to thrive in their
own way.
13.3
86.7
Some children naturally have more potential
than others.
57.2
Girls do better in school because they are
smarter than boys.
93.6
Schools can make a difference to children’s
8.6
lives.
All children can learn.
91.4
88.3
9
91
Children learn best from structured activities
with clear tasks and outcomes.
56.1
Children learn best when they can interact
with materials and environments however…
Agree or Strongly Agree
6.4
11.7
Children learn from each other.
Neutral or Disagree
42.8
0
43.9
32.8
67.2
50
Percent of Students
100
Beliefs About Families
Supporting close relationships between parents and
their children is a central part of an early childhood
professional’s job.
20.8
Some parents don’t know anything about
supporting their children’s development.
All parents have strengths they can use to support
their children’s development.
79.2
43.2
56.8
15.8
Some parents struggle to do anything that supports
their children’s development
84.2
45.9
All parents want what is best for their children’s
learning and development.
54.1
51.9
All parents are interested in supporting their
children’s development
48.1
64.8
35.2
Some parents are uninterested in their children’s
learning and development.
43.7
56.3
Ultimately, the priorities for children’s learning and
development are up to the parents.
43.2
56.8
Netural or Disagree
Agree or Strongly Agree
0.0
0.5
Percent of Students
1.0
Beliefs about Policy
Teaching children who find learning difficult
takes too much teacher time
91.4
Education is a right that should be available to
all children.
8.5
Teachers should be responsible for the
learning of all children in the classes they…
91.5
25.5
Children with additional support needs should
be taught by specialists.
74.5
57.4
Some children are better educated outside
mainstream schools.
62.2
87.2
The child with a disability will probably
develop academic skills more rapidly in a…
Children with disabilities can best be served in
regular classrooms.
12.8
74.7
25.3
71.7
The challenges of being in a regular classroom
will promote the learning and development…
Agree or Strongly Agree
42.6
37.8
Children should be grouped in school
according to their ability.
Neutral or Disagree
8.6
0.0
55.7
28.3
44.3
0.5
Percent of Students
1.0
Disposition Summary
Strength-Based Views of Children
Family-Centered Beliefs
Beliefs in the Value of Inclusion
3
Neutral
3.5
4
4.5
5
Most
Supportive
Skill Questions
 Provide your response to the sample Skill items on the
quiz
 How do you think our students responded?
Skills in Child Assessment and
Partnering with Families
Skills: Assessment
MI
Non-MI
Skills: Partner with Families
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Percent of Students Choosing Most
Developmentally Supportive Response
Partnering with Families
You are home visitor working with Alejandro (12 months),
who is not yet pointing or vocalizing. How will you support
his development?
a) Ask Alejandro’s family about routines or activities that
he enjoys, and then working with the parent in those
settings to promote his communication.
29%
b) Bring toys with you on visits that Alejandro may be very
interested in, since this may encourage him to use
pointing or babbling, and eventually words.
24%
c) Design activities for Alejandro’s parents to do with him
that capture his attention and provide him with
rewards and praise each time he attempts to
communicate.
d) Work one-on-one with Alejandro so that he gets some
individualized instruction and support that is highly
sensitive to his needs.
How do you think our students responded?
?
31%
16%
Skills in Child Assessment
You are working with Sara (28 months), who has Down
Syndrome. …you need to assess Sara’s social and emotional
development. How do you do this?
a) Base your assessment on your own observations of Sara’s
behavior with you, as well as the ways she interacts with her
parents and siblings, since it is valuable to see how she
interacts with a variety of people.
b) Observe Sara interacting with her family, and also interview
her parents about Sara’s social behavior, since it is valuable
to gather information from the people who spend the most
time with her.
c) Observe Sara’s social behavior with her siblings and
parents, and call in an expert who is qualified to conduct a
standardized test of Sara’s skills, since it is valuable to get
multiple perspectives.
d) Use a standardized assessment tool of social-emotional
development to better understand her skills in relation to
other children her age so you can determine areas for
improvement in the future.
How do you think our students responded?
21%
41%
18%
20%
?
Results overview
Knowledge and Skills
Know: Development Sequences
Know: Red Flags
Know: IDEA
Know: Person-First Language
Know: Early On Policy
Skills: Assessment
Skills: Partner with Families
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
1
2
3
4
5
Strength-Based Views of Children
Family-Centered Beliefs
Beliefs in the Value of Inclusion
Effects of Courses
Courses
Children with special needs
Developmental delays and disorders
Exceptional Children
Language/ communication development
Preschool Curriculum (e.g., 3 to 5 years)
Infant and toddler curriculum
Infants and toddlers with special needs
Clinical practice (in your discipline) with young children
Early intervention
Early child education
Assessment/observation of young children
Motor/ physical development
Social/ emotional development
Infant and toddler development (e.g., birth to 3
years)
Child development (e.g., birth to 5 or birth to 8)
Lifespan human development
Cognitive development
Individuals with special needs (lifespan/ adult)
Clinical practice (in your discipline) across the lifespan/
with adults
Administration of early childhood programs
Parenting
Family Studies
**p < .01, *p < .05
Knowledge
Skills
.22**
.21**
.17*
.19*
.04
.03
.14
.09
.13
.12
.01
.10
.00
.37**
.34**
.31**
.26**
.30**
.30**
.29**
.29**
.23**
.22**
.21**
.19*
.17*
.01
.14
.10
-.12
.03
.03
.08
-.01
.11
.15
-.04
.05
-.02
-.10
-.14
.09
-.01
-.12
Strength & Gaps
Strengths
Knowledge Language & motor
Dispositions
Skills
Gaps
Cognitive & social-emotional
Sequences of
development
Indicators of delay (red flags)
IDEA generally and
person-first language
IDEA Parts B & C
Strength-based
approach to children
Belief in children’s motivation
and potential for learning
Explicit support for
inclusion policy
Belief in value and efficacy of
inclusive practices
Belief that supporting
families is part of
professional role
Belief in family’s ability and
interest to support children
Skills in the teacher
role/ classroom setting
Skills in the home visitor role/
home setting
Skills when decisionmaking alone
Skills requiring collaboration
Application to your courses
 How would you use the results of the KiDS-WITS to
support your students’ learning?
1
Which
competencies?
2
What are my
goals?
3
How to utilize in
my course?
Step 1: Which KiDS-WITS
Competencies Align with your
Course Objectives?
 Review Competencies Handout
 Focus on Child, Family, or Policy
 What do you want your students to know, believe/ value,
or be able to do?
Step 2: What are your goals
for your course?
 Your teaching:
 E.g., Improve my teaching on families’ strengths and
strength-based perspectives on families
 E.g., Develop pedagogies to help my students learn and
remember the indicators of developmental delays in the
first three years
 Your students:
 E.g., Students believe in the strengths of all families to
support their children’s development, and the necessity
of working through families for effective early intervention
 E.g., Students are able to identify indicators of
developmental delays in toddlerhood
Step 3: Decide when and how
to use the KiDS-WITS Tool
Curriculum Planning
Evaluation
Enhancing Pedagogy
Scoring the KiDS-WITS
Assessment
Thank you!!
Early On Center for Higher Education
Expert advisory panel
Stakeholders survey respondents
Instructors who invited students to participate
Students who responded to the KiDS-WITS survey