Family Engagement

Reviewed:

This topical guide will introduce you to important books, videos, and information resources available from the EI Clearinghouse and other sources.

Contact us via online form or by phone (1-877-275-3227) to request a resource listed below (or ask your local public librarian). Note that some videos may be viewed online, and journal titles will take you to the publisher’s homepage.

mom and daughter reading

Books

The Early Intervention Guidebook for Families and Professionals: Partnering for Success.
Bonnie Keilty
Teachers College Press, 2015
With a focus on how families and professionals can collaborate effectively so that infants and toddlers learn, grow, and thrive, this newly revised guidebook reflects recent research and best-practices in the field of early intervention.
Call#: WS 350.6 .K27 2016

Family-Centered Early Intervention : Supporting Infants and Toddlers in Natural Environments
Sharon Raver
Brookes Publishing, 2015
This book offers recommended practices for family-centered, evidence-based intervention and team collaboration to ensure the best possible outcomes for infants and young children involved in early intervention programs.
Call#: LC 4019.3 .R39 2015

The Early Childhood Coaching Handbook
Dathan Rush and M’Lisa Shelden
Brooks Publishing, 2011
This hands-on guide shows professionals how to conduct skillful coaching in any setting—home, school, or community.
Call#: LB 1775.6 .R87 2011

Early Intervention Every Day! Embedding Activities in Daily Routines for Young Children and Their Families
Merle Crawford and Barbara Weber
Brooks Publishing, 2014
Targeting 80 skills in six key developmental domains for children birth to age 3, this reader-friendly guide gives families and professionals dozens of ready-to-use ideas for embedding learning opportunities in everyday routines.
Call#: HV 888.5 .C73 2013

Parent Engagement in Early Learning: Strategies for Working with Families
Julie Powers
Redleaf Press, 2016
This book demonstrates how to improve parent-teacher communication, deal with family issues and special complications, and how to work with the modern family.
Call#: LB 1139.35 .P37 .P693 2016

Videos

In-home early intervention: supporting families and their infants with special needs
16 min; DVD
Child Development Media, 2011
The framework of in-home intervention is composed of many factors that affect the effectiveness and quality of services to families and their infants with disabilities. This video demonstrates components of the framework through home visits with two separate families of differing cultural backgrounds and family compositions.
Call#: HQ 759.913 .In49sup 2011

Family Guided Routines Based Intervention
The videos on this page can be used to promote recommended early intervention practices.

The University of New Mexico’s FIT Video Library
The purpose of the FIT Video Library is to share information with early intervention practitioners and families by providing illustrations of evidence-based and recommended early intervention practices.

Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center

Articles

Young Exceptional Children 16(1), 3-15
A Framework for Providing Culturally Responsive Early Intervention Services
Wendy Bradshaw.  (2012)
The purpose of this article is to provide a framework that offers a way for EI service providers to better meet the needs of the culturally diverse children and families they serve.

Young Exceptional Children, 18(1), 44- 47
A Case for Family Coaching in Early Intervention
Diane Branson. (2015)
The author presents an overview of the development of coaching in early intervention and 3 recommendations to the field to increase the use of family coaching.

Young Exceptional Children, 14(4), 44-56
Empowering Families During the Early Intervention Planning Process
Teresa Byington and Peggy Whitby. (2011)
This article presents strategies that professionals can use to empower families, and to share ideas on how to convey a personalized view of the child to team members. It also provides information to help strengthen the understanding of the importance of family-centered practices during the IFSP or IEP planning process.

Young Exceptional Children, 19(2), 14-32
Quality in Individualized Family Service Plans: Guidelines for Practitioners, Programs, and Families
Michelle Gatmaitan & Teresa Brown. (2016)
This article provides guidance and recommendations for practitioners and families on IFSPs based on five components of quality.

Young Exceptional Children, 6(3), 21-26
More is Better: Maximizing Natural Learning Opportunities.
Lee Ann Jung. (2003)
This article explains the importance of supporting the family’s ability to maximize natural learning opportunities and embedding intervention into their own activities and routines.

Journal of Early Childhood Research, 9(1), 66-80
Strengthening Family Capacity to Provide Young Children Everyday Natural Learning Opportunities
Jennifer Swanson,  et al. (2011)
This article describes a study that was conducted to determine if natural learning environment interventions strengthened family capacity to provide their young children with developmental delays everyday natural learning opportunities.

Young Exceptional Children, 22(1), 38-49
Supporting Parents’ Confidence to Pull Up a Chair at the Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Table
Deborah Bruns and Dianna LaRocco. (2017)
This article uses vignettes to demonstrate how the teachers (a) build positive relationships with families, (b) support participation, and (c) create an empowering context and connects these best practices with the DEC Recommended Practices.

Web Resources

A Guide for Families: The Illinois Early Intervention Program
Section 3: Participating in Early Intervention Services, 9-16

The Early Intervention Training Program
Winter webinar series Coaching Families of Young Children with Disabilities: What is it and How it Works – Part 1  |  Family Resources

Universal Online Part C EI Curriculum: Early Intervention Foundational Pillars Modules

Florida State University
Family Guided Routines-Based Interventions & Caregiver Coaching

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
Family Engagement

National Association for the Education of Young Children
Family Engagement

Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center:

The Division for Early Childhood: DEC recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education

OneOp formerly Military Families Learning Network
Engaging Families to Focus on Intervention Strategies