Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships (MEISR™), Research Edition

Authors: R.A. McWilliam, Ph.D., Naomi O. Younggren, Ph.D.

Early Childhood

These are the 24-page forms needed to conduct the Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships (MEISR™) assessment.


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Available in packs of 5, these are the 24-page forms needed to conduct the Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships (MEISR™) assessment.

Young children grow and learn when they participate fully in everyday routines and activities. Assess this critical dimension of child development with the MEISR™, an easy‐to‐use tool for creating a snapshot of the functional behaviors of children from birth to 3 years of age.

A rich learning opportunity for both families and professionals—and an ideal starting point for talking to parents about their child's functioning—the MEISR helps build an understanding of a child's engagement, independence, and social relationships within the context of common family routines. Completed by caregivers and easy to use with them during home visits, the MEISR helps paint a picture of the child's functional abilities and highlights future learning opportunities.

With the results of the MEISR, you can

Start important conversations with families about their child's participation in everyday activities
Support child engagement—an important prerequisite to learning
Empower families to enhance natural learning opportunities
Help families choose functional skills to address within the IFSP
Help your team determine Child Outcome Summary (COS) ratings
Develop individualized intervention priorities

How It Works

The MEISR asseses a child's functioning within 14 everyday routines. With the guidance of an early intervention professional, parents or caregivers complete the MEISR in just 45 minutes, scoring each item with a 1 (child does not yet do this), a 2 (child does this sometimes), or a 3 (child does this often or has progressed beyond this). Basic scoring can be done by the caregiver or the caregiver and the professional together. MEISR items are helpfully crosswalked with

the functional outcomes of engagement, independence, and social relationships
the five developmental domains required on IFSPs
the three federal child outcomes

When the MEISR is complete, it provides a snapshot of the child's functioning relative to age expectations and the demands of daily routines. Based on scoring of the MEISR, families and professionals work together to identify what priorities to include in the IFSP. The MEISR can also be used to monitor the child's progress at 6‐month intervals, adjusting goals as needed.

Assess a child's functioning within 14 routines:

Waking up
Toileting/Diapering
Meal Times
Dressing Time
Hangout – TV – Books
Play With Others
Nap Time
Outside Time
Play by Him‐ or Herself
Bath Time
Bedtime
Going Out
Grocery Shopping
Transition Time

Ideal for use with the Routines‐Based Interview (RBI)! Are you using the RBI to help families decide on outcomes and goals? The MEISR can inform and enhance this process. Give the MEISR to families ahead of time to prepare for your RBI with them, use a blank MEISR to help you ask detailed questions, or complete the MEISR during or after the RBI to help quantify the information the family provides.

View our recorded webinar: Using the MEISR™ presented by R.A. McWilliam, Ph.D., and Naomi O. Younggren, Ph.D.

Reviews

Lynda Cook Pletcher, M.Ed., Author of “The Early Intervention Workbook: Essential Practices for Quality Services”, Private EI Consultant - May 13, 2019

"This practical manual is a needed next step in the Routine Based Interview process that many Early Intervention providers now use. It contains valuable information, and useful examples of functional skills and behaviors that children use organized into 14 daily routines of families. This allows providers to quantify authentic assessment information in a concrete way. The comprehensive lists of skills, case examples, scoring information about conducting authentic assessment and functional IFSP outcomes will greatly enhance provider practices."

David Munson, MS, Director, Early Childhood Intervention - May 13, 2019

"The Routines‐Based Model is our bible at Early Childhood Intervention and it helps keep us with a crystal‐clear focus on building confidence, competence and capacity within the families we serve in early intervention. Because the MEISR is organized around children's functional participation in routines it helps families maintain a focus on routines‐based interventions. In particular, we use the MEISR as an age‐anchoring tool in the COS process. It serves as a critical source of information to guide families and professionals in their consequential discussions to determine ratings on the COS Decision Tree. The MEISR is a proven critical tool in delivering quality routines‐based early intervention."

Laurie Dinnebeil, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Daso Herb Chair, Editor, Journal of Early Intervention, University of Toledo - May 13, 2019

"It's wonderful to see a book on assessment that focuses on the things most important to families of very young children–the routines and activities that comprise their days. This book will enable interventionists to help families and children enjoy routines and activities that matter most to them."

Jane Squires, Ph.D., Professor, Early Intervention/Special Education, University of Oregon - May 13, 2019

"MEISR is an innovative, family‐friendly method for measuring functional skills of infants and toddlers in everyday home activities. With RBI (routine‐based intervention) at the center, MEISR provides the steps, forms, and procedures for assessing child skills as well as monitoring their on‐going progress in functional living. Early interventionists will find this tool invaluable for all steps—from IFSP development to progress monitoring to program evaluation. Dr. McWillliam has provided us with another invaluable, evidence‐based approach that will work with infants, toddlers, and their families."