Class members are required to develop a project which:

(1) Demonstrates skills in interviewing and assessing family strength and needs, and

(2) develops strategies for building parent-professional partnerships that can then be incorporated in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

When was your child’s disability initially suspected?

Discuss who brought it to the parents’ attention. If it was the parent who first suspected it, what was the cause for this suspicion?

What was your level of involvement during the IFSP development? Be sure to discuss thoughts on how the process could be changed (if applicable).

How would you describe the relationships with the various service providers? Be sure to include the ability to have your needs understood and met by service providers

Discuss both the joys and frustrations that you have experienced with your child.

How has this experience affected the establishment and maintenance of friendships that the child has had over time?

The project consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Attach the notes from the interview to your Family Report.

Step 2: Write the Family report. This paper should synthesize the information you obtain from the family interview (either the recorded or live interview).

The report should be five to seven, double-spaced pages.

The paper should use the family systems approach to develop recommendations for a parent-professional partnership.

Structure the paper so that each of the following components is addressed in order:

Family characteristics
Family interaction
Family functions
Recommendations

Step 3: Write an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Write an IFSP based on the family’s stated and observed priorities, the roles of intervention staff and families, and expected outcomes.