Developmental Therapist/Early Interventionist

Description

The responsibilities of the Developmental Therapist will include but is not limited to:

• The teacher is responsible for coordinating comprehensive early intervention services for children who are experiencing developmental delays or have a specific diagnosed disability according to the Department of Educations’ guidelines. The early intervention services, which are home and community based are:
•  Developmental screenings and comprehensive developmental evaluations
•  Hearing and vision screenings
•  Intervention planning
• Child and family intervention in the home, local childcares, and other local early childhood programs
• Coordinating family support services
• Assisting with transition services to the next agency when children are three years of age
• The teacher accepts referrals and forwards the referrals to TEIS’ Single Point of Entry (SOP) office as appropriate to child’s residence.
• The teacher helps children and their families to identify their own strengths and needs using formal evaluation tools, observations, and parent/guardian interview. The teacher gathers a team at the family’s request to address strengths and needs to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This plan serves as a guiding tool for the team to ensure that the best services are being provided for the child and family.
• The teacher provides support for the parent/guardian (developmental therapy) in working with the family and child in all areas of development (personal/social, communication (receptive and expressive), cognitive, adaptive (self-help), and motor (gross and fine)). Family intervention includes assisting families to: determine their strengths and needs, available resources, set goals for themselves, become knowledgeable advocates for their child and access service independently.
• The teacher may make referrals and coordinate services with other community agencies/professionals involved with the children to ensure that family/child needs are being met. The teacher assists the family and child with transition into other service delivery systems.
• The teacher keeps the children’s electronic and in office records up to date in compliance with set procedures, documents, contact, progress, and records specific contact with other agencies/professionals regarding the children. The teacher provides families with visit progress reports regarding the outcome of the visit and children’s progress toward goals.
• The teacher provides attendance and mileage records to team leader at the end of each month, no later than the 8th of the following month.
• The teacher is involved in the local community by offering technical assistance to other agencies such as child cares and schools through community education and prevention activities, and presentations to promote understanding of early identification and intervention.
• The teacher participates in appropriate training functions in order to develop necessary skills to provide quality early intervention services. The leader is responsible for being knowledgeable about program policies and procedures.
• The teacher works independently in planning daily activities. The teacher attends monthly early intervention team meetings during which issues about children are discussed and training and support is provided. The team leader is available for guidance and support when needed.
• The teacher follows Department of Education (TEIS) policies and procedures for providing early intervention services
• Team performance is reviewed through periodic observation, interviews with team members, and monitoring of children’s records and other service documents. The work performance of the teacher has a major impact on the quality and quantity of services provided to children and families. Work performance also affects the ability of the early intervention program to coordinate with other agencies in the community. Performance reflects positively or negatively on the whole agency.
• Families must be given factual information about their child, but in a sensitive, caring manner.
• Teachers must protect the confidentiality of children and their families
• Regular work hours are from Monday to Friday, 8:00-4:30. It is sometimes necessary to schedule home visits and make telephone calls to working parents during the evening hours. Teachers occasionally incur overnight travel to attend training functions.
• The teacher will be familiar with and adhere to all agency policies and procedures and operating guidelines.
• The team leader will provide support and guidance to the teacher.
• The teacher is Non-Exempt from the USDOL Fair Labor standards.

Requirements

Qualifications: This position requires graduation from a four-year college or university with a bachelors and/or Master’s degree in early childhood special education, early childhood education, child and family studies (child development), early intervention, deaf education, visual impairments, special education K-12, elementary education, or communication disorders and speech language pathology. Experience in working with young children is required. This person should have the ability to communicate orally and in written form, the ability to work somewhat independently, and the ability to relate to and work with other staff, children, family members of children served, and other community agencies and professionals.