Early Intervention Every Day!

Embedding Activities in Daily Routines for Young Children and Their Families

by Merle J. Crawford, M.S., OTR/L, BCBA, CIMI and Barbara Weber, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA

Contents

1. I Early Intervention Basics and Recommended Practices

   1. Overview of Early Intervention
   2. Recommended Practices: Caregivers
   3. Recommended Practices: Facilitating Skill Acquisition

2. II Developmental Progression of Skills

   1. Behavior Regulation and Social Skills
   2. Cognitive and Receptive Language
   3. Expressive Language
   4. Gross Motor Skills
   5. Fine Motor Skills
   6. Self-Care/Adaptive Skills

3. III Daily Routines Across Domains

About the Authors

Merle J. Crawford, M.S., OTR/L, BCBA, CIMI

is an occupational therapist who has a private practice in central Pennsylvania. She has a bachelor of science degree in special education and elementary education and a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Additionally, Ms. Crawford has graduate certificates in applied behavior analysis and autism. She works primarily with infants and toddlers in early intervention.

Barbara Weber, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA

is a speech-language pathologist with over 30 years of experience. She currently focuses on working with infants and toddlers and collaborates with families to integrate routines-based intervention.

Cognitive and Receptive Language

Tips and Hints

For children who enjoy cause-and-effect toys but struggle with social communication, caregivers can act as the "toys" by using affect, animation, and repetition to draw the child's attention. Encourage children to seek responses from people instead of toys.

• Use pause time and expectant looks to cue the child that a message is needed.
• Respond to body movements for more nourishment or activity, prompting requests.
• Gradually fade physical prompts from hand-over-hand assistance to no prompting.

OBJECT PERMANENCE

Definition: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. It is crucial for problem-solving and social development.

How to Incorporate into Routines:

• Mealtime/Snack Time: Hide food playfully to encourage the child to search for it.
• Playtime: Hide toys and encourage the child to find them, gradually increasing the challenge of the hiding.

Tips and Hints for Developmental Skills

If children do not enjoy Peekaboo, use a towel or blanket for them to pull off for a fun surprise.

TURNING TO NAME

Child turns when their name is called, indicating they are developing listening skills.

How to Incorporate into Routines:

• Call the child's name during household activities to gain attention and foster learning.

DEMONSTRATING UNDERSTANDING OF WORDS

A child's vocabulary and understanding of words will grow over time, which is essential for following directions and engaging in conversations.

How to Incorporate into Routines:

• Book Time: Reading together introduces new vocabulary.
• Diapering and Dressing: Name body parts and actions to teach functional vocabulary.

Imitation of Actions

Young children learn by imitating actions, both with objects and with their bodies, showing a method for acquiring new skills.

Note

This information is excerpted from Early Intervention Every Day! Embedding Activities in Daily Routines for Young Children and Their Families by Merle J. Crawford & Barbara Weber. © 2014 Brookes Publishing.