138 Session 8
Papers Topic - Service Delivery Interventions Advancing Comprehensive Early Childhood Intervention P8.14
Assisting Families to Reach for the Stars Presenting Author: Sarah Hawkins-Lear (USA) Affiliation: University of Kentucky Co-Author: Jennifer Grisham
Reach for the Stars (RFTS) is a comprehensive, person-centered approach designed to celebrate the unique strengths and abilities of young children with disabilities while guiding the development of their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It is important to understand practices that address the needs of all children (e.g., SES, multilingual, cultural), including those with disabilities. Through collaboration between practitioners and families, RFTS ensures that program plans are both meaningful and practical, emphasizing what children can do rather than focusing on limitations. By integrating person- centered planning principles, RFTS not only supports children’s immediate growth but also creates a roadmap for long-term success, empowering children and their families to envision and achieve positive outcomes. During this session, participants will: (1) demonstrate how to use RFTS; (2) show how to use RFTS to create program plans; and (3) reflect on the process of using RFTS. P8.15 Implementing Favorite Words for Child Development: Bringing the Ideas to Life for Young Children and Their Families P8.16 Recognize What You Bring to the Interaction: Integrating Family-Centered Help Giving Practices With the Touchpoints Model to Build Comprehensive Training Pathways Presenting Author: Ana Teresa Brito (Portugal) Affiliation: Ispa - University Institue; EDUNOVA.ISPA, Portugal The field of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) has experienced significant and sustained growth over the past few decades. Advances in understanding how children develop during their early years, along with recognizing the critical role of the family during this stage, have been foundational. Effective, evidence-based, family-centered help giving practices encourage and inspire ECI professionals to deeply engage with, listen to, and empower families. The Touchpoints approach aligns seamlessly with these practices, enhancing its core components of effective support. Touchpoints provide a way of caring for families that integrates an understanding of child development with relationship-building, emphasizing systems theory, cultural sensitivity, and reflective practice. This presentation outlines the integration of these concepts into initial training for early childhood education and professional development in ECI, proposing it as a scaffold for developing comprehensive training pathways. Presenting Author: Rachel Teplicky (Canada) Affiliation: CanChild, McMaster University Co-Author: Andrea Cross, Danijela Grahovac, Kim Hesketh, Vanessa Tomas
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