Rainbows & Rain: early intervention stories, reflection, coaching
Welcome to the Rainbows and Rain podcast for Early Interventionists. My name is Erika Bowen and I am an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher in Minnesota servicing children with disabilities and their families from birth to age 3. Listen to stories of visits and practices from the field. Join me in my reflection as I work to empower caregivers to help their children learn and grow through everyday learning opportunities. We cannot grow without the rain and through the rain we see our efforts pay off; in another word, the rainbows. For both our families we service and the professional growth we continue to strive for in our practice. Hear how I struggle, succeed and find humor in it all!
Our Editor's Take
The Rainbows & Rain: early intervention stories, reflection, coaching podcast is a comforting resource. It encourages and educates teachers and interventionists who specialize in developmental differences. Host Erika Bowen is an early childhood special education teacher. She has experience as an educator trainer and curriculum builder. Bowen works for a program that offers in-home early intervention services. She's the mother of twins, one of whom received such services as a toddler. Bowen provides compassionate, relatable advice for others in her profession.
Rainbows & Rain reveals the first goal for intervention. It's to empower the parents. Bowen names eight ways to do this. They include practicing empathy, reflective listening, and asking open-ended questions. Instead of asking whether a child can hold a pencil, ask questions like, "How does the child use their hands?" She says it's critical to identify and respect each family's preferences. Bowen gives an example of when she offered a helpful solution. She realized later why it wouldn't work for that family. Podcast listeners learn how to prepare families for change. Kids change faster than many parents expect. Bowen explains how to focus on strengths, desires, and achievements in the consultations. She says even families who are doing everything right need affirmation.
The Rainbows & Rain podcast shares the results of Bowen's in-home visits. She visited a 19-month-old whose mother felt frustrated that he wouldn't say "please." Bowen identified that the child had trouble speaking in general. She details how she worked with the mother to enhance their communication.
In another episode, Bowen visited a 12-month-old with sleep and self-soothing challenges. Through careful questioning, she learns that the answer is simpler than expected. The parents had sleep ideals that didn't match the baby's developmental age. The mother learned to calculate his sleep in total hours rather than nighttime hours. Bowen's work gave the family mental relief and better sleep. Podcast listeners receive the strategies, words, and support they need for effective intervention.
Rainbows & Rain: early intervention stories, reflection, coaching releases new episodes monthly.
Episodes