Thursday, June 6, 2019

Parsimonious checklist for Family Centered Planning


For almost any child, the family is the first context within which all development occurs.
After family, typical comes school, religious organizations and support (for some), peers, culture, and environment.
To assure you are optimizing the context within the family, consider:
1.       Was information gathered about the child/youth in context of the family?  This would include the natural environment and natural routine.  Observation may be included if possible, but understand, behavior often changes when being observed.  Be aware of the “Hawthorne Effect.”
2.       Have you, are you carefully, and demonstratively listening to: comments, concerns, and observations, by parents/guardians? 
Understand that sometimes, in somethings, parents can be right and know more about their child than you.
3.       Are plans, goals, objectives, written in language easy for the parent/guardian to understand?
4.       Is the family a full partner in the plan?
5.       Whenever possible is the child/youth a full or to the degree possible, partial and active partner in the plan?
6.       Are outcomes meaningful and practical for the child/youth and family?
7.       Even when there is a behavior you wish to diminish or eliminate, have you included what you want the child/youth to do?  What is the replacement behavior?
8.       Be careful about ascribing motivation to parents/guardians.  Sometimes we do not even fully understand our own underlying motivations.  You can collect data, you can work to influence, but understanding “why” can be very elusive.
9.       Be a good partner with everyone involved.  Be considerate.  Don’t assume.

This book, like a well written objective, was meant to be parsimonious.  Hopefully, like a well written objective, it is also helpful.

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