1

Improving Child Outcomes

Improving Child Outcomes

Jan Moss, ParentCenter for Learning and Leadership

OUHSC, College of Medicine

2

Can anyone sing this to the tune of “Do I Love You?

Do I data?Oh my do I!

Data? Deed I do?

3

New Requirements to Measure

Child and Family Outcomes

Regarding:

Helping Families Communicate their needs and be involved

Positive Social and Emotional skills

Learning Language and what to do with it

4

TranslationOutcomes which will:

help this child enjoy their family? Sibs? Peers? Community?

help this family enjoy their child?Extended family? Sibs? Community?

Those outcomes are:

Healthy RelationshipsPositive character attributes

Functional Skills

5

Why Healthy RelationshipsPositive character attributes

Functional Skills?• Families are the first environment• Healthy family relationships are

essential for developing positive emotional skills

• Positive character attributes are the key to social success and friendships

• Functional skills are the first skills typical children develop

6

All Children Need

• A healthy sense of trust in self and others,

• The ability to cooperate, self regulate emotions, get along with others

• Approach learning with curiosity, persistence, problem solving skills

• Receptive and expressive communication skills

Annie E. Casey Foundation, Families as Primary Partners in their Child’s Development

7

A word or two about helping families:

Positive Practice – Positive Help

“ it is not simply a matter of whether or not needs are met but rather the manner in which

needs are met that is likely to be both enabling and empowering”

Dunst & Trivette, 1994

8

Help isn’t helpUnless

It is what you needwhen you need it!

Help given should match help requested

Offer help that is normative, supports self-control

9

Different Perspectives for outcomes

Family Service Providerhands on/total care intervention plan

Lifetime Time Limitedlifespan time/limited

Personal Outcome Job Outcomeemotional/financial emotional/financial

Barriers-societal Barriers-skill level

10

A word or two about outcomes:

What would have/has helped me

statements from adults with disabilities

• My mom inspired me to think; she said, “ pretend I’m not here, what will you do?” everywhere we went.

• To have been given real responsibilities-A disability is never an excuse for bad behavior or for shirking chores.

• I wish I had less therapy and special stuff and made some friends.

11

Practical Outcomes for Daily Activities

Family routine • Feeding• Bathing• Dressing• Play/Activities

– Home– Daycare– Preschool– Grandma’s– other

12

What helps most?

• Family routine: who has to do whatmake calendar of events

• Feeding: easy, messy, tolerancemeal diary

• Bathing: body parts, hot/cold, wet/dryspace and body concepts

• Dressing: buttons, zippers, shoe ties, wrong side out, frontward's/backwards, top and bottom

physical assistance and support log

13

Jennifer was my project

14

15

Do I show my feelings?

16

Do my expressions match my feelings?

17

Social Success• Paralanguage – tone intensity & (humming,

sniffing etc.)• Facial Expressions – eye contact, face reading,

face talking• Postures and Gestures – body position,

movements of limbs• Interpersonal Distance – boundaries for

standing touching, internal and external• Rhyme and Time – speech patterns (culture)• Objectics – personal hygiene, style

18

• Does this child have a sense of humor?• How does this child show affection?• Does this child respond to facial

expressions?• Does this child use facial

expressions to communicate?

Do I show My Feelings ?

19

Social/Environmental Factors

Only 7% of emotional meaning is conveyed with

words

Expressions are not only human

(see cat)

Sound discrimination is part of social behavior such as understanding danger through listening

(hear cat)

20

Positive Social Skills

Am I Social?•Do I like others

Do I know what a friend isDo I know how to make friends

Do I know how to keep friends

21

What’s Language Got to Do with It?

Language is currency we spend on; sharing our emotions/our self knowledge our preferences/choices

Internally and Externally

It is critical that the child’s home language and culture are respected, appreciated, and

incorporated into the curriculum and classroom.

22

Inclusion of Children with Disabilities

23

A Tool and Strategy for collecting Data with Families to DetermineOutcomes

Center for Learning and Leadership . University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Education, Research and Service . University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

24

• Individual Indicators that may identify the child’s “favorites”

• Emotion Indicators that focus on the child’s “feelings”

• Socialization Indicators to highlight the child’s “social world” and relationships

• Self-determination Indicators that focus on “choices” the child makes

• Physical Indicators that center on the child’s “body clock”

• Health Indicators that reveal the child’s “health issues”

Role Indicators that identify the family member “roles”

Child Preference Indicators Domain Areas:

25

Indicator Summary How can you can tell? Do you know

why?

• What are your child’s favorite toys? • What makes your child happy?• What motivates your child?• What calms your child? Coping

mechanisms?• What are your child’s dislikes, fears?• How does your child make choices?

Influence and reliability of choice making?• Best Functioning time? Most difficult?• Important health information?• How is your child involved i.e.

responsibilities and role in the family?

26

Time alone/privacy Noise level-tolerances Lighting level-tolerances Kind of clothing: snaps, buttons, zippers Odors and fragrances: food, soaps, Color of room, clothes, Touch/tactile soft, smooth, texture response Favorite foods: salty, sweet, texture, place

Medical: Pills, shots, melts, liquids, flavor

Preferences which honor self determination:

27

Exercising Our Exercising Our Preferences…Preferences…

•Stepping Stone Stepping Stone to to Assuming ResponsibilityAssuming Responsibility

•Integral to Integral to

Being Able to Being Able to Self-DetermineSelf-Determine