Early Communication Indicators:Early Communication Indicators:Monitoring the Progress of Monitoring the Progress of

Infants and ToddlersInfants and Toddlers

Dale Walker, Judith J. Carta, and Dale Walker, Judith J. Carta, and Charles R. Greenwood Charles R. Greenwood

Juniper Gardens Children’s Juniper Gardens Children’s Project Project

University of KansasUniversity of Kansas

Using the ECI for individual and Using the ECI for individual and program monitoring: Growth program monitoring: Growth ChartsCharts

How we know it worksHow we know it works Individual progress monitoringIndividual progress monitoring Program evaluationProgram evaluation

Does this approach work?Does this approach work?

Does it grow?Does it grow?Is it reliable?Is it reliable?Is it valid?Is it valid?Is it predictive?Is it predictive?

Age Cohort (0-12)

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0.5

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1.5

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3.5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Ra

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Gestures Vocalizations Words MulWord

How Did Key Skill Elements Grow How Did Key Skill Elements Grow over 9 Months for Children in Their over 9 Months for Children in Their 1st Year?1st Year?

Age Cohort (13-24)

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0.5

1

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3.5

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Rat

e pe

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Gestures Vocalizations Words MulWord

How Did Key Skill Elements How Did Key Skill Elements Grow for Children in their 2Grow for Children in their 2ndnd

Year of Life?Year of Life?

Age Cohort (25-36)

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1

1.5

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Monthly Occasions

Rat

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Gestures Vocalizations Words MulWord

How Did Key Skill Elements Grow For How Did Key Skill Elements Grow For Children in Their 3Children in Their 3rdrd Year of Life? Year of Life?

Did Total Communication Did Total Communication Grow and Differ by Age Grow and Differ by Age

Cohort?Cohort?

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th 1

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Rat

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0-1 years

1-2 years

2-3 years

Did we detect differences Did we detect differences for children with for children with disabilities?disabilities?

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Disability

No Disability

Does this approach work?Does this approach work?

Is it reliable? Is it reliable? –Do trained observers agree on what Do trained observers agree on what communication they record. (Answer = Yes)communication they record. (Answer = Yes)

Is it valid?Is it valid?–Do ECI indicators correlate with Do ECI indicators correlate with standardized and parent report measures. standardized and parent report measures. (Answer = Yes)(Answer = Yes)

Is it predictive?Is it predictive?–Do ECI indicators correlate with preschool Do ECI indicators correlate with preschool literacy and communication indicators. literacy and communication indicators. (Answer = Yes)(Answer = Yes)

How to use the ECI to How to use the ECI to Monitor Children and Monitor Children and ProgramsPrograms Individual Progress MonitoringIndividual Progress Monitoring

– Decision making modelDecision making model– Individual child IdentificationIndividual child Identification– InterventionIntervention

0.00

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35.00

40.00

2.0

0

3.5

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5.0

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6.5

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8.0

0

9.5

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11

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12

.50

14

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17

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29

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32

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Age at Measurement

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IGDIs ESAs

ECI Decision Making ECI Decision Making ModelModel

Monitor

Identify/Validate Need

For Intervention

Generate Intervention

Strategies

ImplementIntervention

EvaluateIntervention

Effectiveness

Monitor

Families

Outcomes

Rationale Combining Growth Rationale Combining Growth Charts with a Decision-Making Charts with a Decision-Making ApproachApproach

Need for a comprehensive system that:Need for a comprehensive system that: describes children’s growth and development over time describes children’s growth and development over time provides a model in which decisions may be made for provides a model in which decisions may be made for

designing, informing and evaluating interventions (in designing, informing and evaluating interventions (in spirit of IFSP)spirit of IFSP)

Provides information for individuals and groups of Provides information for individuals and groups of childrenchildren

allows families, early childhood and elementary allows families, early childhood and elementary educators to identify areas in need of change to educators to identify areas in need of change to optimize child outcomeoptimize child outcome

Three Levels of Growth Three Levels of Growth AssessmentAssessment

Bench Marking (quarterly – every 3 months)Bench Marking (quarterly – every 3 months)– All children assessedAll children assessed– Who is not making expected progress?Who is not making expected progress?– Who needs additional support?Who needs additional support?– How is the program doing?How is the program doing?

Strategic Monitoring (monthly)Strategic Monitoring (monthly)– Is more support accelerating growth? Is more support accelerating growth? – Is a change in intervention supports needed?Is a change in intervention supports needed?

Intensive Care Monitoring (weekly)Intensive Care Monitoring (weekly)– Is growth accelerating?Is growth accelerating?– Is a change in intervention supports needed?Is a change in intervention supports needed?

Identification of Children Identification of Children for Interventionfor Intervention Review ECI growth for all childrenReview ECI growth for all children Determine average growth for groupDetermine average growth for group Identify children above and below Identify children above and below

averageaverage Select children below averageSelect children below average

– One standard deviation below group One standard deviation below group averageaverage

– Children growing at slow rate or Children growing at slow rate or decreasingdecreasing

IdentificationIdentification

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1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

Age at Test

Wei

ghte

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omm

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Min

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Child 1 Norm -1SD +1SD

Intervention

FSIP Kids

-5

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Age at Test

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Series1

Series2

Series3

Series4

Series5

Series6

Series7

Series8

Series9

Mean

-1SD

+1SD

ECI - Trajectories

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40.002.

00

3.50

5.00

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9.50

11.0

0

12.5

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14.0

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15.5

0

17.0

0

18.5

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21.5

0

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0

26.0

0

27.5

0

29.0

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32.0

0

33.5

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38.0

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39.5

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41.0

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Age at Measurement

Co

mm

un

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Rat

eNOS_1

NOS_111

NOS_115

NOS_116

NOS_117

NOS_118

NOS_119

NOS_120

NOS_121

NOS_122

NOS_207

NOS_212

NOS_302

NOS_308

NOS_311

NOS_312

NOS_313

NOS_314

NOS_315

NOS_316

NOS_317

NOS_318

NOS_319

NOS_401

NOS_402

NOS_403

NOS_404

NOS_405

NOS_406

Framing Intervention Framing Intervention Solutions: Ruling out, Solutions: Ruling out, Ruling inRuling in

History with child?History with child? Medical issues?Medical issues? Family/caregiver concerns?Family/caregiver concerns? What child knows and does?What child knows and does? Settings, activities, routines, Settings, activities, routines,

curriculum?curriculum? Challenges to implementing Challenges to implementing

intervention?intervention?

1 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 46

Weeks

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60

Rat

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Communications per Minute Expected Growth

Expected Growth

The ECI Tell Us When to Intervene and The ECI Tell Us When to Intervene and Whether or Not Intervention Is WorkingWhether or Not Intervention Is Working

Baseline Intervention Modified Intervention

Exploring Solutions Exploring Solutions Assessment (ESAs)Assessment (ESAs) Measures identifying potential solutionsMeasures identifying potential solutions Generate ideas that may inform and Generate ideas that may inform and

suggest an effective interventionsuggest an effective intervention– Can we rule out settings?Can we rule out settings?– Can we rule out program features?Can we rule out program features?– Can we rule out curricular variables?Can we rule out curricular variables?– Can we rule out interaction patterns? Can we rule out interaction patterns?

Effects of Individual Effects of Individual InterventionsInterventions

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ECI Testings

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Identification Weekly Baseline Intervention(Child 207)Monthly

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ECI Testings

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Identification Weekly Baseline Intervention(Brittany)Monthly Testing

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

ECI Testings

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Identification Weekly Baseline Intervention(Michael)Monthly

Using the ECI to Monitor Using the ECI to Monitor ProgramsPrograms

Program data are aggregated up from Program data are aggregated up from individual child dataindividual child data

Assess all or some children in a programAssess all or some children in a program Measure every 3 months: at Ages (3, 6, Measure every 3 months: at Ages (3, 6,

9, 12, 15, etc., months CA)9, 12, 15, etc., months CA) Each child has a growth trajectory (rate Each child has a growth trajectory (rate

of growth and mean level)of growth and mean level) Calculate the average (or program) Calculate the average (or program)

trajectory (rate of growth and mean trajectory (rate of growth and mean level)level)

Monitoring Programs Monitoring Programs (continued)(continued)

Children below expected rate of Children below expected rate of growth - assess monthly and growth - assess monthly and provide (ramp up) intervention.provide (ramp up) intervention.

Continue monthly progress Continue monthly progress monitoring and continue monitoring and continue intervention decision makingintervention decision making

Growth in Expressive Communication

-5

0

5

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253 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

Age at Measurement

Exp

ress

ive

Com

mun

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Rat

e

Norm

P1

P2

P3

P1 = Growing at .31 responses per monthP2 = Growing at .51 responses per monthP3 = Growing at .60 responses per month

Interpreting ResultsInterpreting Results

Data handling toolsData handling tools– MS-Excel SpreadsheetMS-Excel Spreadsheet– MS-Excel TemplateMS-Excel Template– ECI WebsiteECI Website

Decision makingDecision making

ECI MS-Excel Data Entry and ECI MS-Excel Data Entry and Analysis WorkbookAnalysis Workbook

MS-Excel diskMS-Excel disk– Example.xlsExample.xls– Template.xltTemplate.xlt

Individual child and workbook Individual child and workbook progress monitoring exampleprogress monitoring example– Tab 1- InstructionsTab 1- Instructions– Tab 2 - NormsTab 2 - Norms– Tab 3 - IdentificationTab 3 - Identification– Tab 4 - Intervention ProgressTab 4 - Intervention Progress

ECI MS-Excel Data Entry and ECI MS-Excel Data Entry and Analysis Workbook ExampleAnalysis Workbook Example

Data entryData entry Changing tabsChanging tabs IdentificationIdentification Intervention monitoringIntervention monitoring

ECI MS-Excel Data Entry and ECI MS-Excel Data Entry and Analysis Workbook ExampleAnalysis Workbook Example

ECI Growth parametersECI Growth parameters

Mean level = average of scoresMean level = average of scores Slope = amount of “goes up’ness”Slope = amount of “goes up’ness” Important and Constantly Asked Important and Constantly Asked

Questions:Questions:– Is the average at this age within Is the average at this age within

expectation?expectation?– Is the slope positive (not negative, Is the slope positive (not negative,

not flat)?not flat)?

Coming Soon: The ECI Web Coming Soon: The ECI Web SiteSite

Web site to support the ECIWeb site to support the ECI– ECI informationECI information– Instrument downloadingInstrument downloading– data entry and analysis servicedata entry and analysis service

Training and ongoing technical Training and ongoing technical assistance will be availableassistance will be available

Available after September 15, Available after September 15, 20022002

Indicators of Growth and Development Indicators of Growth and Development (IGDI’s) for Infants and Toddlers: The (IGDI’s) for Infants and Toddlers: The Official Home PageOfficial Home Page General InformationGeneral Information

– What is an IGDI?What is an IGDI?– How might one use an IGDI to monitor How might one use an IGDI to monitor

individual child progress?individual child progress?– How might one use an IGDI to monitor How might one use an IGDI to monitor

individual program progress?individual program progress?– How do I get started?How do I get started?– What are the costs?What are the costs?

Using IGDI’s to make Decisions about Using IGDI’s to make Decisions about Progress Learning to use an IGDIProgress Learning to use an IGDI

Certification as a Qualified/Trained UserCertification as a Qualified/Trained User Related Articles, Publications, and SourcesRelated Articles, Publications, and Sources

Indicators of Growth and Development Indicators of Growth and Development (IGDI’s) for Infants and Toddlers: The (IGDI’s) for Infants and Toddlers: The Official Home PageOfficial Home Page FAQSFAQS

– What services are provided by this web site?What services are provided by this web site?– Who can use this web site?Who can use this web site?– How do I sign up?How do I sign up?– How do I become a trainer?How do I become a trainer?– How can I contribute data and obtain the How can I contribute data and obtain the

services of this web site?services of this web site? Web Site Contact InformationWeb Site Contact Information

– Institute for Life Span Studies (URL)Institute for Life Span Studies (URL)– State of Kansas Early Head Start Programs State of Kansas Early Head Start Programs

(URL)(URL) Certified Trainers Contact InformationCertified Trainers Contact Information Other Websites and Links of InterestOther Websites and Links of Interest

Web-Based ProgramWeb-Based Program Using IGDI’s to make decisionsUsing IGDI’s to make decisions Instruments availableInstruments available Assessor qualification and training Assessor qualification and training

data system leading to certificationdata system leading to certification Child performance data systemChild performance data system

– Set up, entrySet up, entry Child/program performance reportsChild/program performance reports

– Graphic and normative growth Graphic and normative growth trajectoriestrajectories

For More InformationFor More Information

Walkerd@ku.eduWalkerd@ku.edu http://http://www.jgcp.ku.eduwww.jgcp.ku.edu// http://ici2.umn.edu/ecri/http://ici2.umn.edu/ecri/

More information can be obtained More information can be obtained from: from: http://ici2.umn.edu/ecri/sitemap.html