Under the supervision of the Easterseals birth to three Director, conducts early intervention visits and evaluations using standardized assessments in accordance with evidence based practice and identified family needs. Services take place in a variety of children’s natural environments including but not limited to: private homes, child care settings, and community playgroups. Services focus on helping the family support their child within the context of the family’s daily life, culture, values and priorities using a curriculum based assessment approved by the lead agency and within the timeframes established by Part C of IDEA and the lead agency.
Basic Responsibilities:
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
· Coaching families/caregivers on learning activities that promote a child’s acquisition of skills in a variety of developmental areas, including motor development, cognition, communication, personal social interaction and self-help skills.
· Support curriculums, including the planned interaction of team members which support the outcomes identified in the child’s individualized family service plan.
· Coach families on how to find information and resources that will support family goals.
· Contribute to ongoing developmental assessments which involve the family and are complete, reliable, family friendly, and professional.
· Schedule visits in accordance with family/caregiver daily activities and needs whenever possible.
· Document all records and forms in a timely, accurate, complete, and legible manner.
· Communicate details of each child’s progress and development with all IFSP team members.
· Follow all timelines established by the Connecticut Birth to Three System and Federal IDEA part C guidelines.
· Coach families to help develop strategies and outcomes that emphasize naturally occurring learning opportunities and are integrated into typical daily routines.
· Coach parents and caregivers on implementing developmental strategies.
· Complete service coordination responsibilities for all cases which the provider is assigned service coordination responsibilities.
· Inform families of the transition process. Facilitate the scheduling of a transition conference with the LEA as appropriate. Identify clear steps to address family needs related to transitioning the child to all new environments.
· Participate in appropriate early intervention conferences, teams meetings and workshops.
· Requisition assistive technology and equipment that is necessary to obtain a developmental outcome in accordance with program policy and procedures.
· Demonstrate commitment to excellence in service delivery to children and families served; promote constructive working relationships within the program and throughout the extended community.
· Perform other related duties as required.
· Displays and upholds Easterseals core values of collaboration, respect, caring, excellence and accountability. Consistently demonstrates caring for the community we serve, for one another, and for the organization they are part of, and contributes to building trust, pride and camaraderie.
· Locating community settings via GPS or other means.
· Input individual schedule into a remote desktop daily.
· Computer skills to write evaluation reports and respond to email on a regular basis.
JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILL REQUIREMENTS, AND DESIRED ATTRIBUTES
· This position may be authorized to have access to protected Health Information (PHI) to perform specific job duties.
· Maturity of judgement, even temperament, and ability to work well with children and their families, peers and others.
· Compliance with other qualifications, as outlined by Birth to Three Personnel Standards and the State of CT Department of Health Services (see below).
Qualifications:
EDUCATION
Developmental Therapist Early Childhood Special Education
Bachelors
Licensure/Certification Department of Education Certificate endorsements: #112 Birth-Kindergarten #113 Nursery-Third grade #065 Comprehensive Special Education Pre-K to 12
Additional Supervision Required Those with initial certificates who work for school districts, Regional Educational Service Centers or approved private school programs must participate in the CT SDE program for beginning developmental therapist s and must meet all beginning developmental therapist requirements consistent with the endorsement. (A mentor developmental therapist is required). Those who work for other types of Birth to Three programs must work successfully for 30 months under their initial certificate before applying for a provisional certificate.
EXPERIENCE
· Birth to Three or early intervention experience preferred.
Personnel Category Developmental Therapist Early Childhood Special Education