Terms and Defintions

Child outcome

Outcome that focuses on the child making progress and is directly tied to a service. A child outcome involves the child doing an action to meet the outcome.

Johnny will participate in playtime by using two-word phrases to talk about his toys.

Discrete/isolated (skills)

Usually from a check-list and tend to not cross developmental domains or settings. Opposite of functional skills.

Stacking cups, hopping on one foot

EISR

Engagement

Independence

Social Relationships

Engagement looks like making eye contact with others.

Independence looks like a child falling asleep on their own.

Social relationships look like going to parents for comfort when upset.

Family-identified point-in-time

A point in time that is meaningful to the family and will help them remember the timeline of the outcome.

By the time brother is home for summer break (Best Practice)

By Mother’s Day (Emerging Best Practice)

By the fall (Acceptable)

Family outcome

Outcome that focuses on the family as a whole. The action(s) may be performed by other family members in order to meet the outcome. Services cannot be tied to a family outcome.

Daniel’s parents will explore a variety of resources related to Down syndrome in their community.

Family resources

Anything that supports the family (professional, social, financial, natural, etc.) outside friends, family, and EI services.

Story time at the library, neighbor friends to ride bikes with, WIC, parenting classes, Early Head Start, Nurse Family Partnership, childcare, church, playgroups, Medicaid, employment

Functional (skills)

Addresses what the child can do and how they utilize the skills within their routines. Answer the question “to do what?”

Pointing to a picture in a book when reading together, scooping with a spoon to eat oatmeal at breakfast

Individualized

Is specific to a child and/or family

Incorporate and document personal elements that the family has shared throughout the IFSP process.

Child-specific toys they like to play with, pet names, family member names, specific routines, foods they enjoy

Measurable

A specific and detailed description of how we’ll know the child has met the outcome. Answers the questions “how often? and “by when?”

Tia tastes 3 new foods a week by Dad’s birthday.

Eleanor points to 5 named pictures in his favorite book by the time brother is out of school for summer.

Active language

The child is the subject and the one performing an action. This is the opposite of passive language.

Sarah and Mom kick the ball back and forth while playing outside.

Age anchoring

Age anchoring determines where a child’s development is (in months) in relation to peers of their same age. A child is age-anchored separately in each of the three Global Outcomes.

Molly is using two-word phrases to talk about playtime, which we would expect from a child her age.

Shane is not yet using his finger to point to what he wants.

Hallie is using skills in this area that are similar to a child that is 19-21 months.

Strengths-based

Strengths-based language focuses on what the child and family do well, not on challenging behaviors. The strength-based approach is centered around the idea that the child is the actor or agent of change.

Dante is using a variety of single words to label his toys and relies on pointing to let his family know what he wants and needs. Dante enjoys pointing to pictures in books.

Throughout

“Concerns and priorities are represented throughout Strengths and Needs” = evidence of concerns and priorities are found in multiple sections of the Global Outcomes.

N/A