Service Coordination of Community Resources

HDCD 5320
Fall 2007

Instructor: Chelle Miller, VM 469-395-4236; Cell 214-629-1635:E-Mail hms012100@utdallas.edu

or chellemiller3@verizon.net

Office Hours: Mondays before class by appointment;

Texas ECI Competencies: The following competencies are taken directly from the Texas ECI
Competency Demonstration System. Phrases in bold represent the knowledge and skills that are
expected for students in this course.
SC 1 – a. The EIS knows about community services and assists families in accessing
appropriate professionals and agencies when concerns of a family require specialized professional
services; b. The EIS supports parents as they advocate for their infants and toddlers; c. The EIS
assists families in accessing formal and informal parenting support and advocacy organizations
and knows the roles of such organizations in developing and improving services.
SC 2 – The EIS identifies the need for and accesses service supports in a family’s native
language, or accesses appropriate interpreter and translation services. The EIS provides support for the
non-English speaking families as they advocate for their infants and toddlers.
IFSP 2 – In partnerships with families and team members, the EIS develops IFSPs that: a.)
integrate information identified by families about children’s functioning, strengths and needs; b.) assist
and support families in identifying concerns, priorities, resources, and in developing outcomes and
strategies to meet families’ needs; c.) as appropriate, create strategies for including siblings and
extended family members for implementation of the IFSP; d.) assist families in making transition
plans by the time the child is two, e.) identify service options appropriate to meet each family’s
needs.
IFSP 1 – The EIS knows the ECI requirements for the IFSP.
POL 1 – The EIS knows how to access and carry out all ECI program policies and
procedures, both on the local program and state level.
FCP 1 – The EIS knows how to identify and support strengths and coping skills of families.
PROF 1 – The EIS knows the range and limitations of the professional role of the EIS.
PROF 2 – The EIS knows the roles of all early intervention team members, including family
members.
EV/ASST 3 – The EIS knows the three categories of state eligibility requirements (i.e.
medical diagnosis, atypical development and developmental delay) and knows when to refer for further
evaluation.

Additional Learning Outcomes: The student will:

1. know and use a routines-based approach to family-centered IFSP development.
2. know and use good team communication skills.
3. know different team models and their implications for families.
4. know how to document progress.

Course Policies:
1. Expected hours of work:
The general expectation is that students will, across the semester, put in a total of 45 hours of work for
each semester credit hour (SCH) for which they are enrolled. For a typical 3 SCH commitment during a
regular (15 week) semester, the student should devote 135 total hours of effort, or 9 hours per week.

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Remember, this would be considered the amount of work required to do passing, or average, work in the
class. Full credit is earned only by work that is clearly outstanding. It is unlikely that full credit could be
earned without a significant investment of time beyond the minimum requirement of 3 clock hours per
SCH.

2. Students with Disabilities:

If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by registering with Disability
Services (DS) at 972-883-2098 (voice or TTY). You are required to provide DS with appropriate
documentation and they will provide you with a form to present to the course instructor prior to or at the
first class session. Faculty are not authorized to provide a student with disability related
accommodations without prior approval from DS. Additional information is available on the UTD web
site under Disability Services.

3. Scholastic Dishonesty:
As a member of the UTD academic community, please adhere to the following guidelines: (a) reference
all work; (b) do not use projects from previous courses; (c) do not plagiarize. Please review the UTD
regulations on the UTD website under Scholastic Dishonesty.

4. Attendance Policy:
The expectation for this class is that students will be on-time and in attendance. The student is
responsible for informing the professor prior to or immediately after an absence, either person, via email
or voice mail. It is the student’s responsibility to access all information presented for the missed class
session from other students in the class. The instructor is not responsible for ensuring the student has the
missed materials. No make-up tests or in-class assignments will be given without prior approval. If
a student is a no-show on the night of a test/assignment, the student will automatically earn a zero.
If a student arrives to a class session after it has begun, he/she is expected to enter quietly and take a seat
in the least disruptive location. It is very difficult to make a grade of A in this class unless you attend
every week.

5. Late Assignment Policy:

Assignments are due on the designated date (see course schedule presented in this syllabus). No late
assignments will be accepted unless prior approval is given. Assignments submitted later than the
due date will receive an automatic 5% reduction in grade for every day that the assignment is late.
Assignments will not be accepted after 5 days.

6. Written Assignment Criteria:

All written material submitted should be typed, formatted according to the specifications given by the
instructor, and when specified, submitted in APA (5th edition) format. If you have difficulty in the area
of written communication skills, you must obtain the assistance of the UTD Learning Resource Center
Writing Lab (on web site and at 972-883-6707). Special attention should be given to the following:
• grammar, punctuation, spelling
• sentence and paragraph structure
• tense and parallel usage
• organization, neatness, and content knowledge
Assignments with spelling and/or grammatical errors will not be read; they will be returned to the
student for correction and resubmission by the next class period. A 5% penalty will be assessed on the
final grade for that assignment.

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7. Student Professional Dispositions:
The phrase "professional dispositions" refers to the values, commitments, and professional ethics that
influence behaviors toward children, families, peers, and communities. Dispositions are guided by
beliefs and attitudes related to values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility, and social justice.
Students will demonstrate professional dispositions by exhibiting the following professional behaviors:
1. Arriving at class at the designated class start time.
2. Preparing for class by reading the assigned materials and downloading the appropriate materials
for in-class assignments.
3. Participating in class discussions in a constructive manner.
4. Turning in completed assignments on designated due dates (see above).
5. Interacting in a professional manner (verbally and nonverbally) with other students, the
professor, and guest speakers.
6. Taking responsibility for his/her professional learning.
7. Taking responsibility for contacting the professor via email or by phone prior to an absence and
taking responsibility for getting class notes/materials from fellow students.
8. Listening (not talking) during lecture or class discussion.
9. Leaving at the scheduled time and not before (unless the instructor is notified and has approved
prior to leaving).
Please be polite and courteous in your interactions with each other and your professor. Discussion and
active participation are always valued. Remember that cell phones and beepers must be turned off prior
to entering the classroom. Penalty points will be assessed if cell phones are answered or text-messaging
is used during the class period.

8. Other Policies:
Student should keep an extra copy of all assignments for their records before they are turned in
to the instructor.
Lecture topics and dates provide a tentative schedule. They are subject to change as needed at the
discretion of the instructor. Assignment due dates may also be changed. These changes will be
announced in class.

Texts: There is no text for this course, but you will be required to download materials from email, as
well as various websites.

Grading:
Class attendance and participation: 7
Routines-Based Interviews (2): 20 (10 pts. each)
ECI 101 and Service Coordination Activities: 53
Community Resources Project: 10
Final: 10
TOTAL POINTS: 100
92 - 100: A
84 - 91: B
75 - 83: C