vThe Pyramid Framework within Early Intervention

Programs: 

The Pyramid Framework within Early Intervention

Programs: 

Promoting the Social Development of Infants and

Toddlers

What we hope to accomplish in this webinar

What we hope to accomplish in this webinar

Provide rationale for Teaching Pyramid Explain why the Teaching Pyramid is a useful

model for thinking about social emotional development of infants and toddlers.

Examine some of the key features of model as applied to very young children and their families.

Talk about some of the promise and the challenges of such an approach.

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The Teaching Pyramid: Promoting Social and Emotional

Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior

The Teaching Pyramid: Promoting Social and Emotional

Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior

High Quality Supportive Environments

Nurturing and Responsive RelationshipsNurturing and Responsive Relationships

Individualized InterventionFocus on Caregiver-Child

Interaction

Intensive Intensive InterventionsInterventions

Universal Promotion

Prevention

Treatment/Focused Intervention

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Key Ideas Underlying Multi-Tiered Models

Key Ideas Underlying Multi-Tiered Models

Pyramid provides a tiered intervention framework of evidence-based intervention for promoting the social, emotional and behavioral development of young children.

Model describes 3 tiers of intervention practice:

Universal promotion for all children.

Secondary prevention to address the needs of children at risk for social-emotional challenges.

Intensive or tertiary intervention for children with persistent challenges.

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Strong foundation is important in all multi-tiered systems of support.

Strong foundation is important in all multi-tiered systems of support.

Foundation: If this is in place, most children won’t need more intensive interventions.

In Teaching Pyramid, Foundation is:Nurturing and Responsive Relationships

High quality Environments

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IntensiveIntervention

Targeted SocialEmotional Supports

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CSEFEL Pyramid Model:Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children

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The Teaching Pyramid – Key Ingredients for Supporting Social

Emotional Development

The Teaching Pyramid – Key Ingredients for Supporting Social

Emotional Development

Focus on promotion and prevention rather then reactive procedures

Positive interactionsConsistency and predictability in the classroom routineClearly defined expectations Engaging activities

Focus on intentional teaching of social skills and emotional competencies

Acknowledging the relationship between social skills and challenging behaviorUnderstanding the function of children’s behavior and matching our strategies

to the function of behaviorTeaching across the day rather then in response to challenging behaviorGiving children strategies that they can use in a variety of situations

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BENEFITS OF THE PYRAMID APPROACHBENEFITS OF THE PYRAMID APPROACH

Program Perspective

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Benefits: Stronger Relationships

Benefits: Stronger Relationships

Teacher/child interactions are more intentional & meaningful.

Teaching staff understand what “trips their trigger” and how their reactions can escalate challenging behavior.

There is a real partnership between the family and the teaching staff. They build a relationship.

Families have said that they have learned to like their child again!

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Benefits: Improvements in Staff Morale, Confidence, and

Teamwork

Benefits: Improvements in Staff Morale, Confidence, and

Teamwork

Staff satisfaction has increased. Staff turnover has decreased. Staff feel confident in their consistent use of PBS

strategies. Staff have more time to teach because they are

better prepared for the children. Staff work better as a team.

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Benefits: Staff Empowerment Benefits: Staff Empowerment

Staff are implementing the Teaching Pyramid with fidelity.

Staff are better able to track children’s challenging behavior and respond proactively.

Staff have hope! The focus is on prevention instead of

intervention.

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Benefits: Child OutcomesBenefits: Child Outcomes

There are fewer referrals to external experts, we know what to do.

Children are improving in their social emotional competence over the program year.

Children are having fewer problems across the year. Children are improving when they receive intensive

behavioral interventions.

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THE FOUNDATION OF THE PYRAMIDTHE FOUNDATION OF THE PYRAMID

Tier One

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Tier 1 in Infant-Toddler Classrooms

Tier 1 in Infant-Toddler Classrooms

Primary caregiving Routines are individualized based on the needs

of each child Adults use routines to interact socially with

infants and toddlers Adults interact verbally with children mapping

their activities and emotions Adults respond to children’s signs of distress

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Tier 1 in Infant Toddler Classrooms

Tier 1 in Infant Toddler Classrooms

Adults support interactions between toddlers

Adults redirect children who are engaging in challenging behaviors

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The Pyramid Infant Toddler Observation System (TPITOS)The Pyramid Infant Toddler

Observation System (TPITOS)

Importance of translating theory to practice Measuring implementation Using information for professional

development Structure of the TPITOS

Classroom Design/Key Adult Variables

Red Flags Current status of TPITOS

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THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIVERSAL SCREENINGTHE IMPORTANCE OF UNIVERSAL SCREENING

Finding children needing more than the foundation

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Infant/Toddler S-E ScreeningInfant/Toddler S-E Screening

Child social-emotional development and functioning

Environmental support for child social-emotional

behavior and development (center/classroom and home)

Key adult-child interaction behaviors that predict important child social-emotional outcomes

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Social-Emotional Development & FunctioningSocial-Emotional Development & Functioning

Ages and Stages Questionnaire- Social-Emotional

(ASQ-SE; Bricker et al.)Caregiver report

10-15 minutes to complete

Provides a cut-off score for social-emotional concerns

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General Environment Support of Social-Emotional Behavior & Functioning

General Environment Support of Social-Emotional Behavior & Functioning

The Pyramid Infant Toddler Observation Scale (TPITOS)

14 Red Flags 24 Classroom design and behavior items

Rated on a 4-point scale (exemplary practice to not observed)

Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME IT; Caldwell & Bradley)

45 items completed during home interview6 subscales related to the home environment (parent

involvement presence of appropriate materials and opportunities)

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Considerations for Selecting & ImplementingConsiderations for Selecting & Implementing

Repeatable

Brief

Easy to use and score

Inexpensive

Reliable and valid

Capable of telling programs:When there is a concern

What intervention needs to zero in on

Whether intervention is making a difference

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Recognizing Infants & Toddlers Needing more than Universal Intervention

Recognizing Infants & Toddlers Needing more than Universal Intervention

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Externalizing ConcernsExternalizing Concerns

Severe tantrums Hitting, kicking, biting

Difficulty accepting guidanceScreaming no, throwing toys and materials

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Internalizing ConcernsInternalizing Concerns

Withdrawn Unengaged with people or materials Sad, anxious, irritable Have a hard time being comforted

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Dysregulation ConcernsDysregulation Concerns

Difficult to read signalsHard to recognize when they are happy or upset

Rapidly changing signalsMove quickly & with little warning to unconsolable

crying Difficulty calming Difficulty with routines

Falling asleep, staying asleepFeeding

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Screening IdentificationScreening Identification

Parent or teacher report (ASQ-SE) HOME TPITOS

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GREATER FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALIZATIONGREATER FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALIZATION

Tier Two

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Tier 2 InterventionTier 2 Intervention

Intervention becomes more individualized Involves a closer look at teacher-child interaction in the

classroomFocusing in on a child’s signalsLooking at adult behaviors that foster positive child behaviorLooking at adult behaviors that get in the way of supporting

child positive behavior Identifying specific ways that teachers can respond to a child’s

individual signals to:Support and build on positive signals Reduce stress in response to negative signals

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Indicator of Parent-Child InteractionIndicator of Parent-Child Interaction

IPCI (Baggett, Carta, & Horn, 2003)Brief rating scale following observation of authentic

interaction activities at home/center

Adult behaviors that facilitate child social-emotional development

Adult behaviors that interfere with child social-emotional development

Child engagement

Child distress

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IPCI UseIPCI Use

Completed for children for whom Tier 1 concerns are identified

ASQ-SEHOMEClassroom Environment

Teacher-child interaction Classroom supervisorLead teacher while observing assistant teacher-child interaction

Parent-child interaction in the center or homeCompleted by a home visitor (teacher, family advocate, social

worker)

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INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONINTENSIVE INTERVENTIONTier Three

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Who might need intensive intervention?

Who might need intensive intervention?

Children who are not showing progress in response to Tier 2 intervention.

Children whose development and behavior is identified as extremely off-track and teachers are unable to manage their behavior or support them without intensive supports.

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Purpose of Tier 3Purpose of Tier 3

No change as a result of your prevention strategies and intervention strategies at the lower levels of the pyramid.

Behaviors escalate.

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Tier 3Tier 3

Team based process Functional assessment Individualized behavior support plan

Prevention strategies Replacement skills Adult responses to children’s behavior

Implemented across environments Linked to services beyond the classroom as

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CRITICAL ROLE OF FAMILIES IN THE INFANT-TODDLER PYRAMID

CRITICAL ROLE OF FAMILIES IN THE INFANT-TODDLER PYRAMID

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Role of Families in the Pyramid

Role of Families in the Pyramid

Families are involved from the very beginning of the model. If additional support is needed for a child, staff work directly with the

family. We will go to their home or they can come to the center…family choice.

Training in Positive Behavior Support is available to families. The family is considered the “expert” on the child. They play an

important role in any planning process. Families are taught to take Behavior Incident Reports.. Their

observations are very valuable for planning.

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PartnershipsPartnerships

Family support plans are an option. Mental health partners are in the centers regularly to

work with parents and staff on prevention strategies. Mental health partners are available for consultation in

the home, at the center or in their office…family choice. The staff and the family are a team. We share results of

our observations and compare our data. We use specific praise with parents as well as children

and each other.

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We make it a point to celebrate small successes.

We make it a point to celebrate small successes.

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Summary and ConclusionsSummary and Conclusions

Some of the same features of the original Teaching Pyramid can be applied to programs serving infants and toddlers.

Strong foundation equals prevention. We need to ensure fidelity of implementation of the foundation. Families are a central feature of Infant-Toddler Teaching Pyramid. Measures are available for carrying out universal screening to

determine which children might need more intensive supports. Measures for monitoring progress of children in their interaction with

caregivers. Successful implementation of the model will depend on the strong

collaboration with community partners.

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