Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Individual Practicum Plan Carlena Lowell SEI 513 February 2, 2014

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

*Any identifying family information in materials provided for this course will be changed or covered in order to maintain confidentiality. Appraisal of Current Knowledge and Skills The focus of my individualized practicum is to enhance my current skills as a Part C case manager. This role began for me in early August 2013 with four weeks of training with the former case manager; in September, I was on my own. Although I feel I am acclimating well to a role unlike any I have held before, there are specific areas in which I would like to increase my proficiency. Competency areas from the Early Childhood Opportunities (EChO) Scholars Student Rating of Knowledge and Skills (SRKS) that I would like to further develop in this practicum are 2. Collaborative Consultation, Service Coordination and Teaming, 3. Family Partnership, 4. Assessment, 5. Planning and Implementing Individualized Instruction, and 8. Professional and Ethical Practice. Much of my rating scale is based on my work as an early childhood special educator in a preschool classroom. I am in a new role and now look at each competency item in a different light. Through the use of videotaping and reflective thinking practices I plan to do just that within this practicum. This Individualized Practicum Plan (IPP) outlines the activities I intend to participate in to fulfill this practicum. In addition to the six activities outlined in detail, I speak to the other requirements of the course. The purposes of the first three activities in this IPP are similar to one another. These are meetings that happen often in my role, and I am not yet at a point in which I am wholly comfortable facilitating any of them. There are skills within each type of meeting that I need to improve upon; for example, the types of questions I ask to elicit information and outcomes, and my explanation of

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

early intervention services and how children learn. Although these activities serve a similar purpose for me, they each require different skills that I would like to improve upon, which is the reason for separating them into individual activities. The five competency areas I plan to address are Area One: Assessment, Area Two: Intervention, Area Four: Family partnerships, Area Five: Teaming, collaboration, and consultation, and Area Six: Assistive technology, universal design, and/or curriculum modifications.

Activities for Five Competency Areas Activity #1: Facilitate at least three Part C eligibility meetings with families. How it will be completed: After an evaluation, when the team has determined the child is eligible for services, I will contact the family to schedule the eligibility meeting. After scheduling the meeting I will prepare the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and send an Advanced Written Notice to all applicable people. During the meeting, we will review the evaluation and then write the IFSP. The team will use the information provided from the evaluation and I will guide the family with questions to create individualized, participation-based outcomes. Within seven days of the eligibility meeting I will write and send to the childs family a Written Notice. Within 21 days of the eligibility meetings I will write the plan and mail it to the childs family. I plan to spend time working within several Connect Modules from the FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina and the Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky. I plan to complete Modules 2-5

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

for the purposes of this practicum, particularly the first three activities outlined in this IPP. Age range of children: Birth through two Disabilities: Developmental disability Name of location and program: Midcoast Regional Child Development ServicesDamariscotta Times and dates: Monday through Thursday 8:00 am-4:00 pm Total time: Meeting schedule and preparation: approximately 15 minutes Actual meeting: approximately 1 hour Written Notice: approximately 30 minutes IFSP writing: approximately one hour Total time for one meeting: approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes Demonstration of competency: I plan to videotape myself as a means of reflective practice for at least three meetings. I will watch the videos and then reflect in my journal about what went well and what could be improved. In each reflection I will consider what was reflected upon in the previous entry about the meetings. In addition, I plan to provide the completed Advanced Written Notice, Written Notice, and IFSP for at least one meeting. At the end of the semester I will compile all reflections in relation to eligibility meetings into an individual document. I

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

will also document my progress through the Connect Modules with handouts they provide. Competency areas to be addressed: Area Four: Family Partnership Area Five: Teaming, collaboration, and consultation

Activity #2: Facilitate at least five quarterly reviews with families. How it will be completed: Although, six month and annual reviews are the only reviews legally required, I offer all my families three and nine month reviews as well. Often nine month reviews are not needed, but in my experience most families like to have a three month review. I will schedule with the Primary Service Provider (PSP) and the family a time to meet for the quarterly review. Prior to the meeting, I will send the Advanced Written Notice and prepare the IFSP. At the meetings, we will review the progress of each outcome and I will take notes of this. We will also add new outcomes if need be, and then review the frequency of services and determine if any changes need to be made. Often there is conversation about other applicable information at reviews; for example, recent or upcoming doctors visits. Within seven days of the quarterly review I will write and send to the childs family a Written Notice. Within 21 days of the quarterly review I will update and amend the plan and mail any changed pages to the childs family along with a IFSP Replacement Page letter.

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Age range of children: Birth through two Disabilities: Developmental disability Name of location and program: Midcoast Regional Child Development ServicesDamariscotta Times and dates: Monday through Thursday 8:00 am-4:00 pm Total time: Meeting schedule and preparation: approximately 15 minutes Actual meeting: approximately 45 minutes Written Notice: approximately 30 minutes IFSP amendments: approximately 30 minutes Total time for one meeting: approximately 2 hours Demonstration of competency: After facilitating the reviews, I will reflect in my journal about what went well and what could be improved. In each reflection I will consider what was reflected upon in the previous entry about the quarterly reviews. In addition, I plan to provide the completed Advanced Written Notice, Written Notice, and IFSP for at least one meeting. At the end of the semester I will compile all reflections in relation to quarterly reviews into an individual document with all applicable information from the meeting. Competency areas to be addressed: Area Four: Family Partnership

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Area Five: Teaming, collaboration, and consultation

Activity #3: Facilitate at least three intake visits with families. How it will be completed: This is a fairly in depth process. Once I receive a referral, I make the initial call to the family to find out if they have concerns, explain the CDS referral and evaluation process, as well as the Primary Service Provider (PSP) approach to early intervention, and schedule the intake visit with them. After the phone call I write a Written Notice and send the initial packet to the family. At the visit I complete several screenings, including the Part C Vision and Hearing Screenings, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) for children 16-30 months, and sometimes the Denver Developmental Screening-II, as well as gather information for the IFSP and required signatures. After the visit I write a Written Notice, complete the Screening Summary, request information from the childs pediatrician, make referrals for evaluation, and input information into the IFSP. Age range of children: Birth through two Disabilities: Potential developmental disability Name of location and program: Midcoast Regional Child Development ServicesDamariscotta

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Times and dates: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am-4:00 pm Total time: Initial contact with the family including scheduling, preparation for visit, and writing the Written Notice: approximately one hour Actual meeting: approximately 90 minutes Written Notice and Screening Summary after the meeting: approximately 30 minutes Requesting information from the doctor and making referrals for evaluation: approximately 30 minutes Inputting information into the IFSP: approximately 30 minutes Total time for one intake visit: approximately four hours Demonstration of competency: After completing individual steps in the referral/intake visit process, I will reflect in my journal about what went well and what could be improved. In addition, I plan to provide the completed Written Notices and screenings for at least one meeting. At the end of the semester I will compile all reflections in relation to the referral/intake process and any documents pertaining to the intake into one document. Competency areas to be addressed: Area One: Assessment Area Two: Family partnership

Activity #4: Complete at least one Battelle Developmental Inventory-II (BDI-II).

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

How it will be completed: I will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to complete an evaluation using the BDI-II. I will prepare for this by reading the test items I may administer in order to familiarize myself with them prior to the evaluation date. The day before the evaluation, I will call the family to discuss in detail the way in which the evaluation will happen in an effort to help to prepare them for it. After the evaluation, together with the other evaluator, I will write the report and we will determine eligibility. This report will be mailed to the family at least three days prior to the eligibility meeting, and then will be discussed at the meeting. Age range of children: Birth through two Disabilities: Potential developmental disability Name of location and program: Midcoast Regional Child Development ServicesDamariscotta Times and dates: Tuesday or Wednesday at 9:00 am Total time: Evaluation preparation time: approximately one hour Evaluation time: approximately 90 minutes Report writing: approximately one hour Total time for one evaluation: approximately three and a half hours

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Demonstration of competency: I will provide the evaluation protocol and report after completion. This activity will also tie into Activity #1 as we will discuss the results of the evaluation at the eligibility meeting, and consider them in the writing of the outcomes. I will also reflect in my journal what went well and what could be improved upon. At the end of the semester I will compile all reflections in relation to the evaluation process and applicable documents into one document. Competency areas to be addressed: Area One: Assessment Area Four: Family partnership Area Five: Teaming, collaboration, and consultation

Activity #5: Complete two Routines-Based Interviews (RBI) with families. How it will be completed: I will schedule the interview with the family. Prior to the interview I will prepare by reviewing the chapter in Robin McWilliams book Routines-Based Early Intervention (2010) and reviewing the RBI checklist. I will complete an ecomap and the RBI with a co-worker and the family. After the interview, I will discuss the results with the PSP to see if they can use any of the information provided by the parent in their intervention with the family. I will reflect in my journal about what went well, what I can improve on, and the discussion I have with the PSP.

10

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Age range of children: Birth through two Disabilities: Developmental disability Name of location and program: Midcoast Regional Child Development ServicesDamariscotta Times and dates: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am-4:00 pm Total time: Interview preparation time: approximately 45 minutes Interview time: approximately 2 hours Post interview discussion with PSP: approximately 30 minutes Total time: approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes Demonstration of competency: I will complete and then provide the RBI checklist with the co-worker present at the interview. I will also reflect in my journal about the interview process, what went well, what could be improved on, and the impact doing RBIs might have on my role as a service coordinator. At the end of the semester I will compile all reflections and applicable documents in relation to the RBIs into one document. Competency areas to be addressed: Area One: Assessment Area Two: Intervention Area Four: Family partnerships

11

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Area Five: Teaming, collaboration, and consultation

Activity #6: Familiarize myself with assistive technology (AT) in the area How it will be completed: I will research through the use of the internet and discussions with people familiar with AT in the area. I will select a disability, potentially visual impairment, and familiarize myself with what AT is available for children with that disability, and how a family could access it. I will also become more knowledgeable about how I include AT in a childs IFSP if necessary. If possible, I will observe a child using the AT in order to gain a better understanding of how it works. I work with a family who, sadly, has a child with brain cancer. One of his tumors has pressed on his optic nerve; his ophthalmologist diagnosed him as blind last fall. I will discuss any results I yield from my research with his PSP as a means to embed them in his intervention, if appropriate. Age range of children: Birth through two Disabilities: Developmental disability, potentially vision impairment Name of location and program: Midcoast Regional Child Development ServicesDamariscotta Times and dates: Any time of the week

12

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Total time: Approximately 4 hours Demonstration of competency: At CDS we are compiling a community map of various resources for families. I will put together a document regarding AT accessibility in our area to provide our team leader. I will provide that document in my e-portfolio as well. For the purposes of this practicum, I will also discuss including AT in the childs IFSP. If I observe a child using the AT, I will provide a write-up of the observation. Competency areas to be addressed: Area Two: Intervention Area Five: Teaming, collaboration, and consultation Area Six: Assistive technology, universal design, and/or curriculum modifications

Other Activities Portfolio Link http://carlenalowell.weebly.com/ This is a portfolio I began several semesters ago. I have worked diligently to ensure it is well organized, easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing, and personalized. At the top of the page you will see a horizontal task bar with links navigating the portfolio in which you will find SEI 513. If you click on SEI 513 you will be directed to an introduction of the practicum; however, you can also hover over SEI 513 for other options such as the contact log and individual activities. I will update my portfolio, particularly my contact log, throughout the semester to keep it as current as possible.
13

Carlena Lowell SEI 513 Individual Practicum Plan

Reflective Journal Throughout the semester I will maintain a reflective journal in relation to experiences involved with this practicum. I have come to love the process of reflective thinking throughout this graduate program. I see it as a way to contemplate things I would like to improve on, as well as things I do well. I have begun to use this process in my life outside of school as well, reflecting on social situation in a different way than I ever have before. Learning to be a reflective thinker has been one of my greatest accomplishments throughout this program. I look forward to employing these skills yet again this semester, not only as a student, but also as a beginner service coordinator. In the past my reflective journals have been eight to ten long entries. My intention this semester is to write shorter, more frequent entries because my activities all require various steps that are going to be reflected upon. Case Study Toward the end of the semester, I will complete a case study for one child I am currently working with. This will be a child of a family that participated in work with me for this practicum. The case study will include information such as background information; information about the childs functioning; family concerns, priorities, needs, and resources; goals; the intervention process; and any recommendations. Reading/Resource List Throughout the semester I will compile a list of readings and resources on individual areas of interest related to my focus of this practicum. In the past I have developed reading/resource lists for families I worked with. I am looking forward to developing on based on my own interests in relation to this practicum.
14