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ITINERANT CONSULTATION IN ECSE: A Paradigm Shift

ITINERANT CONSULTATION IN ECSE: A Paradigm Shift. M. Diane Klein, CCC-SLP, Ph.D. California State University Los Angeles September 5, 2007 Columbus, OH. Project Support. A brief overview. Collaborators. Anne Marie Richardson-Gibbs, M.A El Monte, CA School District Sharon Kilpatrick, M.A

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ITINERANT CONSULTATION IN ECSE: A Paradigm Shift

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  1. ITINERANT CONSULTATION IN ECSE:A Paradigm Shift M. Diane Klein, CCC-SLP, Ph.D. California State University Los Angeles September 5, 2007 Columbus, OH Klein, 2007

  2. Project Support A brief overview. . . Klein, 2007

  3. Collaborators • Anne Marie Richardson-Gibbs, M.A • El Monte, CA School District • Sharon Kilpatrick, M.A • San Bernardino County Office of Special Ed • Kathleen Harris, Ph.D • Professor, Arizona State University • M.Diane Klein, CCC-SLP, Ph.D • Professor, California State University Los Angeles, Division of Special Ed & Counseling Klein, 2007

  4. Description of Project Support I • Early Childhood Inclusion Support Training Project • OSEP funded in 1996 • Motivation: • Concern that children were being included without support. • What kinds of supports should be available? • Implications for preservice training • Paradigm shift for ECSE roles Klein, 2007

  5. Context and Population • Based on needs and experiences within large, urban, multicultural communities (Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties) • Concerned with community-based settings in which Part C and Part B-eligible children were receiving some educational services without adequate support. Klein, 2007

  6. Project Support Assumptions • Child needs support • Range from intensive to monitoring only • Change over time • Supports need to be coordinated • Especially in cases of severe/complex needs • ECSE well-suited to new role of “inclusion support specialist” • “Can’t we all just get along” approach is inadequate. Additional training in consultation, collaboration and conflict resolution is essential Klein, 2007

  7. Issues in ECSE Inclusion • Bricker (2000) TECSE • Parents’ dilemma: inclusion or support • Need for adequate supports • Need for trained staff: • Re: disabilities • Collaboration skills • Positive attitudes not enough Klein, 2007

  8. Issues (Cont’d) • Guralnick (2000), JEI • Need for placement guidelines (e.g. child characteristics matched to setting) • Evaluation of feasibility • Personnel preparation • ECE re: disabilities • ECSE re: consultation/collaboration Klein, 2007

  9. Issues (cont’d) • Hanson (2001) Exceptional Children • (Elementary school follow-up of parent perspectives) • Administrative infrastructure • Specialized supports • Personnel preparation Klein, 2007

  10. Dinnebeil et al.(2006)(TECSE, 26(3) • Investigated perceptions of ECE teachers, parents, ECSE itinerants, and supervisors re: roles and responsibilities of ECSE itinerants • Findings:“Lack of understanding of the nature of the intervention itself or the roles of the persons who are delivering the interventions”(p.165) Klein, 2007

  11. Williamson, et al. (2006)(Exceptional Children. 72(3) • Examined national inclusion trends for K-12 students with MR during decade from 1990-2000. • Results: • Overall, increase in at least partial day placement in Gen Ed (in early part of decade) from27% to 44%. But plateau in last 3 years • High variability from state to state • Recommendations: • Research on outcomes and effectiveness of placement and support policies Klein, 2007

  12. Project Support I Activities • Developed, tested and evaluated a training model for ECSE inclusion support specialists (consultation approach) • Trained 60 ECSE professionals using a three-phase inservice training model Klein, 2007

  13. Materials Produced • Inclusion Specialist Practitioner’s Guide • Three Videos/DVD: Itinerant consultation, Co-teaching, & Conflict Resolution • Inservice Training Guide • Preservice Supplement Klein, 2007

  14. Inclusion Support Inservice Training: Collaborative Consultation • Phase I: Intensive inservice Three day training • Phase II: Mentoring On-site observation of consultation support • Phase III: Demonstration of competencies Case study and coaching Klein, 2007

  15. Evaluation Activities • Pre- Post- Competency Self-Assessment • Case Study • Follow-up phone interviews • Long-term follow-up mail surveys • Parent focus group • ECE Teacher focus group Klein, 2007

  16. Follow-up survey of ECSE participants in Project Support Inservice Training • Usefulness of different support activities/ strategies • Most useful • Modeling for teachers • Coaching • Least useful • Providing suggestions (written or verbal) Klein, 2007

  17. Assessment of own collaborative consultation ability: • In pre-test this was rated as one of highest areas of competency. In follow-up, it was one of lowest. Take-home message: Collaborative consultation can be very effective, but requires training and skill. Klein, 2007

  18. Parent focus group findings: • Used ECSE consultant as a “bridge” to ECE teacher and classroom • “luxury” of some shared responsibility in overseeing inclusion • ECE teacher focus group findings: • Some fear of being critiqued • Appreciated consultant’s role of supporting them, and respecting/encouraging their expertise Klein, 2007

  19. Project Support II Activities • Refunded as Project of National Significance: • Further developed materials (including video tapes) • Trained 30 staff at co-teaching sites • Dissemination & technical assistance • Developed and fieldtested Preservice Supplement (Course syllabus, fieldwork assignments, reading list, PPts, etc.) Klein, 2007

  20. Project Support II Evaluation • Co-teaching self-assessment • Co-teaching cohort focus group • Dissemination training feedback • Faculty initial phone survey re: IHE inclusion support curriculum • ECSE Faculty field test feedback re: Project Support materials • ECSE Faculty focus group Klein, 2007

  21. Preservice Fieldtest • Pre-test phone interviews re:curriculum & fieldwork related to inclusion support competencies (ECSE faculty at 5 California IHE’s) • Distribution of materials (Practitioner Guide, Preservice Supplement and Videos) Klein, 2007

  22. Pretest Results • Mostly infused Mostly Level II (advanced) • Mostly focused on collaboration/teaming, but little focus on problem solving and perspective taking • No specific focus on various inclusion support models: itinerant consultation, co-teaching, etc. • No clear guidelines for fieldwork activities Klein, 2007

  23. Preservice Fieldtest Follow-up • Acknowledged that previous curriculum content related to inclusion support models and skills was limited to collaboration and teaming. • Most useful materials included videos and handouts for ECE teachers re: specific disabilities. • Continued to feel that content on inclusion support could be infused. • Acknowledged that competencies related specifically to inclusion support need to be better developed. Klein, 2007

  24. Inclusion Support Competencies: Preservice Curriculum Klein, 2007

  25. Inclusion Support Competencies • 1. Understand and enhance learning of young children with disabilities • 2. Demonstrate adaptations of environment and curriculum • 3. Access resources for low incidence and multiple disabilities • 4. Support families • 5. Insure monitoring of IEP • 6. Supervise paraprofessionals Klein, 2007

  26. (Competencies cont’d) 6. Demonstrate collaborative consultation techniques; co-teaching strategies 7. Establish collaborative partnerships between ECE & ECSE 8. Engage in effective problem solving and conflict resolution processes 9. Demonstrate communication, teaming and coordination skills 10. Use Embedded Learning Opportunities (ELO), “Within routines” . Klein, 2007

  27. Models of Inclusion Support Klein, 2007

  28. Evidence of Effectiveness of Collaborative Consultation • Data based research mostly in area of Psychological Consultation (Applied Behavioral Analysis) • Some ECSE studies of practitioner comfort/perceptions of Itinerant models of service delivery (e.g. Wesley & Buysse, Dinnebeil, McInerney & Hale) • Operationalization of Itinerant Consultation in ECSE not well defined • Few empirical studies of effects on preschool outcomes; no comparison with other inclusion support models (e.g. co-teaching) Klein, 2007

  29. Need to define what “it” (i.e. consultation) is!!  Klein, 2007

  30. Legal decisions re: Inclusion in natural environments/ LRE • Etscheidt (2006).TECSE, 26(3) • Court seems to find in favor of classrooms offering both specialized services and interactions with typical peers • In 7 autism cases requesting specialized DTT settings, only 2 were supported. • Court gives significant weight to IEP team, ruling against administrative override • Court insists on continuum of options, supporting solutions within the community (including private preschools) and customized solutions Klein, 2007

  31. Levels/Expectations of Inclusion • Access (ADA issues)? • Social participation? • IEP goal achievement in LRE? Klein, 2007

  32. What do people expect child to learn in inclusive setting? • Who will meet those expectations? • Defining the role of the inclusion specialist. Klein, 2007

  33. Models of Inclusion Support • “Dump and hope” • Inservice training • e.g., for early childhood staff • Use of one-to-one aide Klein, 2007

  34. Models of Support (cont’d) • Use of related service providers (therapists, disability specialists) • Multidisciplinary model Klein, 2007

  35. McWilliam, R. (1995; 2003) “Integration of therapy and consultative special education” Individual or Group Pull-out V Individual (one-on-one) in Classroom V In-class Small Group Activity V Individualized w/in Routines (ELO) V Consultation Klein, 2007

  36. Models of Support (cont’d) • Co-teaching (ECSE & ECE teacher) • Itinerant • Direct Service (in class or pull-out) • *Consultation: • Expert / Collaborative Klein, 2007

  37. Itinerant Consultation Approach Inclusion support provider visits site on a regular basis (e.g. weekly) Service is predominantly “indirect”/”triadic” Requires collaborative partnership with ECE teacher & team Klein, 2007

  38. Consultation Definitions • An indirect method of solving problems in which the consultant and the consultee work together in some way to define the problems and bring about a solution or resolution. • (Pryzwansky & Schulte (1987) • Consultation is “triadic” in that the consultant works with the consultee (e.g. early childhood teacher) who works with the client (child). • (Tharp, 1975) Klein, 2007

  39. Video Early Childhood Inclusion Support: Itinerant Consultation Klein, 2007

  40. Itinerant Consultation Activities and Strategies • Building collaborative relationships • Communicating with team members • Coordinating services;referrals; resources • Problem solving (systematic process) • Involving parents Klein, 2007

  41. Supervision of one-to-one paraprofessionals. Issues: • Training and background of paras • Teacher expectations • Need to clarify role • 1:1 assistant as “most restrictive environment!” • Supervision responsibility Klein, 2007

  42. Specific In-Class Strategies • Observation • Assessment; data collection • Direct intervention • Demonstrating interventions for staff • Coaching staff • Coaching peers Klein, 2007

  43. Consultation Strategies (cont’d) • Adaptations: • materials • environment • Curriculum • Helping staff design “Embedded Learning Opportunities” • Assisting in the classroom Klein, 2007

  44. Consultation = Collaboration? • Definition of Collaboration - Direct interaction between coequal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making…toward a common goal (Friend & Cook, 2003) • Requires: • Effective communication; mutual respect • Problem solving approach Klein, 2007

  45. Consultation Challenges in Early Childhood Inclusion • Lack of parity • Consultant not on own “turf” • Different goals; philosophies • Personality clashes • Lack of time to communicate & plan Klein, 2007

  46. Example #1: ECSE Itinerant Consultation Program:El Monte, CA School District • Itinerant ECSE program • Up to 25 children @ 5 - 9 Head Start sites • Special Day Classes used primarily for safety issues (e.g. most severe behavioral challenges; complex health needs) Klein, 2007

  47. Administrative partnership with Head Start • Uses ECSE consultation model and paraprofessionals: • One very experienced ECSE credentialed itinerant teacher • Two full-time special ed paraprofessionals (district) • One-to-one assistants, as needed (minimal) • Additional Head Start assistants Klein, 2007

  48. Inclusion Coordinator determines individual needs of each student, in consultation with team • Type of support (Per IEP: Specialized/therapeutic, one-to-one, etc.) • Intensity of support (frequency, # hours) • Assigns, schedules, customizes paraprofessionals: • One-to-one full-time • One-to-one specific times/activities • Classroom assistance, part-time • Classroom assistance, full-time • No paraprofessional Klein, 2007

  49. Balance intensity needs, e.g. six children: • One child with severe disability, w/ full-time one-to-one; • Two children with part-time classroom assistance • Three children who receive consultation support only. • Paraprofessional may be assigned to more than one site; assigned only as needed to maximize efficiency and support • LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS! Klein, 2007

  50. Every classroom w/ special needs students receives Consultation support—frequency for each child determined by: 1. # hrs. specified in IEP (1hr per quarter to 4 hrs/mo) 2. And child characteristics, paraprofessional skills, teacher, staff, classroom population, etc. • Consultant supervises ECSE paraprofessionals • Consultant uses range of strategies working with children and adults Klein, 2007

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