Charting the Cs logo. Cooperation, Communication and Collaboration. Charting the Cs Conference 2025: To Literacy and Beyond Cooperation Communication Collaboration Building Futures: Writing Meaningful Functional Outcomes for Early Intervention April 30th, 2025 Becky Wheeler, ECSE Coordinator Zumbro Education District Goals for today: •Understand why functional outcomes are essential •Learn how to write functional outcomes based on caregiver’s priorities andconcerns Using information to Develop Outcomes •Start with the caregiver’s priorities about child’s learning/development and/orfamily’s needs •Consider what’s working and what’s challenging in everyday routines and activities •Consider how developmental skills, needs, and disability impact the child’s learningand participation in everyday routines and activities Relationship of Outcomes to Services First… develop IFSP outcomes based on functional, authentic assessment information Then… determine services and supports based on what is necessary to meeting outcomes Requirements for Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Outcomes IFSP must include: •A statement of the measurable results or measurable outcomes expected to be achieved for the child and family (including pre - literacy and language skills as developmentally appropriate for the child) •The criteria, procedures, and timelines used to determine the degree to which progress toward achieving the results or outcomes is being made and whether modifications or revision of the expected results or outcomes or services are necessary IFSP Outcomes •IFSP Outcomes: “What would your family like to see happen for yourchild/family?” •Two Types of outcomes oChild Outcomes oFamily Outcomes IFSP Child Outcomes Two Types of child outcomes •Participation - based •Routine/activity - based Child outcomes should: •Enhance learning through functional participation in everyday activities (child is learner/actor) •Be important and meaningful to the family/caregiver (priorities) •Expand activity setting so child be competent •Be based on child interests IFSP Family Outcomes Two types of family outcomes: •Participation-based •Resource-based Family outcomes should: •Enhance capacity (family is learner/actor) •Support to access community resources and supports •Be important and meaningful to the family/caregiver (priorities) •Be based on family’s interests Developing IFSP Outcome Statements Steps Actions/Supports Step 1: Determine the functional area(s) Eating Step 2: What routine(s) does this affect? Meal time with the family Step 3: Child will participate in [routines in question] “ Kim will eat with her Family at mealtime…” Step 4: “ by ing ” (address specific behaviors) “… eating the foods they eat.” McWilliam, R.A. (2006). Steps to build a functional outcome. Retrieved from http://www.siskin.org/downloads/Steps_to_Build_a_Functional_Child_Outcome.pdf Third Word Rule •The third word of IFSP child outcome statement should be a contextualizedaction that is functional. •Example: “Kim will eat with her family at mealtime eating the foods they eat .” Shelden, M. L., & Rush, D. D. (2009). Tips and Techniques for Developing Participation - Based IFSP Outcome Statements. Briefcase, 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.fipp.org/Collateral/briefcase/briefcase_vol2_no1.pdf Developing Criteria, Procedures, and Timelines •What are the ways in which the family and team will work toward achieving thisoutcome? •Who will help and what will they do? •How will the team know they’ve made progress or if revisions are needed tooutcomes or services? High-Quality Functional IFSP Outcomes •Necessary and functional for child’s and family’s life •Reflect real - life contextualized settings •Crosses developmental domains and is discipline - free •Jargon - free, clear and simple •Emphasize the positive, not the negative •Uses active words rather than passive words Criteria Definitions •Necessary and functional for child’s and family’s life •Supports participation in community life and family activities •Based up on what is important to the family •Supports child’s progress towards outcomes •It is not based on what the practitioner thinks •Reflects real - life, contextualized settings oEveryday activity settings and routines for the child and family •Includes typical routines such as meal time •Also includes routines and activities specific to the family. •Test items are not real-life or contextualized •Integrates developmental domains and is discipline - free oWritten to describe the child’s participation in routines and activities •Promote the child’s skill development in multiple domains •Addressable by any member of the IFSP team oWritten so that child and family are the “actors” •Early interventionists and therapists are not the actors in the outcome •Is jargon - free, clear and simple MUST be understandable by family and the general public •Doesn’t include professional jargon or practitioner “speak” Continued 4, Criteria Definitions •Emphasizes the positive, not the negative •Focus of the whole outcome is positive •States what the child and family will do •Doesn’t state what the child will not do or will stop doing. Any negative words creates a negative statement •Uses active rather passive words •Words encourage the child and family’s active participation •Words indicate what the child or family will do •Passive words reflect a state of being or a change or lack of change in performance High-Quality, Functional IFSP Outcomes If available, the child’s complete record can reveal if an IFSP outcome is based on: •Information gathered from the family (e.g., priorities and concerns) •Evaluation and functional assessment of child (e.g., skills, degree of participation, behaviors across settings, strengths, and needs) Developing Child Outcomes What parent states: “I wish he could sit without as much support when he eats and plays – it is hard work holding him all the time.” Child Outcome: Example This “Romeo will play with toys and eat meals with his family by sitting without much support.” Not This “ Romeo will improve muscle tone for sitting.” Developing Family Outcomes What the parent states: “We want to be ableto take Romeo with us in the car; we need a travel car seat.” Family Outcome: Example This “ Karen and Mark will explore options for financial assistance for car seats and secure one.” Not This “Staff will explore options for financial assistance for travel chairs.” Criteria DefiningHigh Quality, Participation-BasedIFSP Outcomes The outcome is necessary and functional for the child’s and family’s life. The outcome reflects real - life contextualized settings. The outcome crosses developmental domains and is discipline-free. “Place Card Here” When the child’s contextual information is available, the following IFSP outcome criteria can also be evaluated: •The outcome is based on the family’s priorities and concerns. •The outcomes described both the child’s strengths and needs based on information from the initial evaluation and ongoing assessment. The outcome is jargon - free, clear and simple. The outcome emphasizes the positive, not the negative. The outcome uses active words rather than passive ones. ectacenter.org/~pdfs/pubs/rating-ifsp.pdf Criteria Defining High Quality, Participation - Based IFSP Outcomes Example The outcome is necessary and functional for the child’s and family’s life. The outcome reflects real - life contextualized settings. The outcome crosses developmental domains and is discipline-free. Yes, Nolan will play with Toys with his sister during bath time. IFSP Outcome Card 1 When the child’s contextual information is available, the following IFSP outcome criteria can also be evaluated: •The outcome is based on the family’s priorities and concerns. •The outcomes described both the child’s strengths and needs based on information from the initial evaluation and ongoing assessment. The outcome is jargon - free, clear and simple. The outcome emphasizes the positive, not the negative. The outcome uses active words rather than passive ones. ectacenter.org/~pdfs/pubs/rating-ifsp.pdf References and Resources •Agreed Upon Practices For Providing Early Intervention Services In NaturalEnvironments.http://www.ectacenter.org/~pdfs/topics/families/AgreedUponPractices_FinalDraft2_01_08.pdf •Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)ectacenter.org/~pdfs/pubs/rating-ifsp.pdf •ECTA Center website http://www.ectacenter.org/topics/families/famresources.asp • McWilliam , R.A. (2006). Steps to build a functional outcome. Retrieved fromhttp://www.siskin.org/downloads/Steps_to_Build_a_Functional_Child_Outcome.pdf •Rush and Shelden. Tips and Techniques for Developing Participation - Based IFSP Outcomes Statements, BriefCASE , Vol 2, No. 1 http://www.fippcase.org/briefcase/briefcase_vol2_no1.pdf •Shelden, M. L., & Rush, D. D. (2009). Tips and Techniques for Developing Participation - Based IFSP Outcome Statements. Briefcase, 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.fipp.org/Collateral/briefcase/briefcase_vol2_no1.pdf