Family Home Activities and Early Intervention – the perfect match!

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Kelley Filson, teli Developmental TherapyAt teli, families are a key part of Early Intervention therapy and success for their child

As a developmental therapist at teli, Kelley Filson has provided Early Intervention support and care for children with developmental delays, behavioral problems and socialization challenges for more than 13 years. She has always been aware of the value of insuring families are an integral part of the Early Intervention process.

So when she was selected for a PA state grant 2 years ago to participate in a unique training that placed families at the center of the Early Intervention process she was thrilled to perfect her techniques! “At teli, we have always strived to engage families in their child’s therapy, so the possibility of learning more strategies to help families more at ease and engaged was exciting. This training has helped me to reflect on how I worked with parents through my questions and observations to increase their comfort with the process and ultimately help them be part of their child’s success,” remarked Kelley.

Home Based Coaching integrates the family’s normal routine as a part of a child’s therapy.

Who would know that doing the family laundry with your child could be the perfect setting to reinforce Early Intervention therapy?  Everyday activities involve numerous movements, directions and behaviors that are essential to Early Intervention therapy.  The “Home Based Coaching” training provided Kelley with ideas to help families realize the important role they can play in their child’s success.

“We worked with experts in the field who observed our interactions with children and families and provided prompting and suggestions on how we might improve our techniques,” notes Kelley.   “We learned how to use the family’ s natural routine for our time together to enrich the experience.

Instead of the therapist bringing a bag of toys and separately working with the child, we asked the parents what they might be doing at this time, such as doing the wash, taking a trip to the grocery story, and from there helping them to formulate activities with their child that met the same outcome of our activities, but in a different way.”

“Transforming the family from an observer to a vital part of the process is so exciting!”

Kelley sees the difference in parents, “In this way families observe and begin to feel more a part of the process and engaged in their child’s early intervention therapy. After a short time, some parents are sharing how they incorporated new techniques into their normal routine and developing new strategies to reinforce element of their child’s therapy into their daily life.”  A parent can transition from feeling helpless in the face of their child’s developmental issues to being the center of the improvement.” It is so exciting to see the pride that develops in this evolution.” notes Kelley

Sharing the benefits of Home Based Coaching to other professionals beyond teli!

But it doesn’t’ end here!  At the completion of the training, Kelley has developed the expertise to begin working with other teli therapists to spread the news of the value of Home Based Coaching in Early Intervention.  Small groups of two to three teli therapists work through the same process, this time led by Kelley to understand the best ways to engage the family in the process. While teli has always worked to insure families are an integral part of the therapy, now with the additional insights provided by Kelley, our staff has benefited from her increased awareness and the skills she has reinforced with them.

“In many ways it helps to “demystify” Early Intervention for families and provide them with unbelievable joy that they can indeed help their child succeed! That is the best part of all!”

Learn more about Kelley and her years of experience helping children and their families with early intervention services!

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