Infants: Maximizing Our Time Together

Infant Toddler SymposiumYMCA HartfordJuly 29,2011

Presented By: Anita Deschenes-Desmond Sheila Marchand

Donna Rooney

Our Goals for Today

Participants will examine the Connecticut Guidelines for the Development of Infants and Toddlers Early Learning

Participants will identify typical behavior for infants and plan adult interactions that can assist the infant in realizing their potential.

Participants will practice focused observation of infants and develop plans for informed instruction and support.

Participants will identify signals of possible delays in development , consider ways to inform families and understand how to access external supports.

Temperament

Appears to be biologically based Fairly constant over time Affects a child’s reactions to other

people and the environment

(Wittmer & Petersen, 2006 based on Thomas, Chess, Birch, Hertzig & Korn, 1963)

Temperament Traits Activity level – always active or generally still Biological rhythms – predictability of hunger, sleep, elimination Approach/withdrawal – response to new situations Mood – tendency to react with positive or negative mood, serious, fussy Intensity of reaction – energy or strength of emotional reaction Sensitivity – comfort with levels of sensory information; sound,

brightness of light, feel of clothing, new tastes Adaptability – ease of managing transitions or changes Distractibility – how easily a child’s attention is pulled from an activity Persistence – how long child continues with an activity he/she finds

difficult

Wittmer and Petersen, 2006

Temperament Types

Flexible Fearful Feisty

Regular rhythms Adapts slowly Active

Positive mood Withdraws Intense

Adaptability Distractible

Low intensity Sensitive

Low sensitivity Irregular

Moody

Temperament Types Flexible, Fearful, and Feisty

istockphoto.com/LisaSvara

http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/default.aspxhttp://office.microsoft.com/enau/default.aspx

Regulation and Stress in Young Babies

Signs of Regulation Signs of Stress

1. Regular, even breathing; warm body temperature; even skin color.

1. Yawning, drooling, hiccupping; chilled or clammy; pale or blotchy skin.

2. Good muscle tone; can lift arms and legs against gravity.

2. Poor muscle tone; flails arms and legs loosely or cannot pull up against gravity; trembling.

3. Moves easily (with little comforting) between being awake and being asleep; when awake, is sometimes quiet and alert, sometimes active and alert; can become calm when crying.

3. Awakens screaming; cannot relax to fall asleep or falls asleep suddenly in the midst of noise and commotion; has trouble focusing when awake.

4. Startles briefly at loud noises but recovers; tolerates handling even during diaper changes.

4. Startles at noise, light, and touch, and cannot recover.

Strategies for Helping Babies Self-Regulate Containing their limbs with swaddling, cuddling, and

bringing them close to your chest and heartbeat

Providing something to suck: a pacifier, their own hand, their fingers

Limiting the stimulation in the environment

Helping baby to awaken or to fall asleep with rocking, cuddling, gentle patting, a quiet voice, singing, or a simple chant

Using a firm, gentle touch

Learning Starts at Birth

Adult uses Touch Talk Facial Expressions Gestures

Infant uses Facial Expressions Sounds Body Language

What Can You Do? The Three A’s

Allow the Child to lead Adapt your behavior to share the

moment Add language and experience

Allow The Child to LeadOWL

O bserve your child, then W ait to give him the chance to communicate in his

own way, and L isten to him sensitively

Things That Will Help You to OWL

Be face to face – follow child’s lead Respond with interest –imitate,

interpret, comment, join in and play

It can be hard to get the message!

Babies have states of awareness that give us clues so we can understand their message

Newborns alert and quiet to a human voice “I cry, help comes”

Responding to a baby’s “tune in-tune out” cues is the beginning of turn taking and their first conversations

Follow Baby’s Lead

Watch, Wait and Listen for signals Respond to signals by imitating and

interpreting Responding quickly and consistently

helps baby learn to predict a pattern and keep communication going

Observation Practice

Practice your observation skills by viewing the video and documenting what you see and hear.

How would you support this infant?What questions might you ask the family?

How it all starts…

“I’ve Arrived!” Their first developmental task is to set a

rhythm in their daily routines, developing patterns and expectations

Those wonderful sputters, squeaks, gentle noises and hiccups are his way of trying to tell you what he needs

Connecticut’s Guidelines for the Development of Infant and Toddler Early

Learning

How to use the document

Seek information on infant and toddler development, explore where a child is developmentally and look to see what might occur next in the child’s development

Guide planning and intentional interactions with infants and toddlers

Create safe, appropriate, nurturing environments Enhance parent knowledge, involvement and support

Organization of the document

Each stage of development– Description of what you can expect to see

in this age range.– Suggestions on toys and materials– Suggestions on the design of space– Ways that adults can support healthy

growth and development through interactions

Organization of the document

“Did you know?” boxes that feature best practice and research on developmental highlights.

Sample activities “Close-up” section that illustrates supportive

interactions between caregiver and baby and/or peer.

Using the Connecticut Guidelines for Development of Infant and Toddler

Learning In your small group, refer to the

Guidelines and discuss some ways you can support children. What adult interactions, environmental changes, toys and activities that will support their continued growth and development?

Be prepared to share with the whole group.

“I’m Waking Up”By 3 Months

Babies are much more aware of sounds around them and respond with noises and movements of their own

They are beginning to smile and coo, both for their own pleasure and to keep your attention

Watch people and are soothed by your face Begin to grasp and bring objects to their mouth Follow moving things with their eyes Begin to do more than one thing at a time ( look and hear; see

and suck)

“This is My Voice!”3-6 Months

By 3 months, babies cry less and make lots of new sounds They start to laugh and play with their voices and babble Different types of crying mean different things Vocalizes to initiate social contact Begin to recognize familiar faces Become more interactive with people and their environment Purposeful reaching and grasping and beginning to play with objects Roll front to back and back to front Sit with some assistance Explore everything with mouth Alert and awake for longer periods of time Show signs of remembering Enjoy back and forth play

“I’ve Got Power!”6-9

Respond and copy different voice tones Learn what things mean and look to things you name Enjoy short songs and social games Refine their babbling skills and some sound like words May respond with fear to unfamiliar people Respond to their name Show preferences Delights in copying and being copied ( you are the best toy) Sit independently, roll, creep, may pull to stand Investigate toys more purposefully, explore more than one object at

once Wait for the effects of their actions and will repeat actions over and over

“I Do Believe They’ve Got it!”9-12 Months

Understand and connect your words with real things Carry out simple requests ( wave bye-bye) Use gesture/sounds purposefully Enjoys interaction with other children and adults and senses changes in

mood Interacts with self in mirror Becomes frustrated or upset when toys are not responding Begin to self feed Move freely by cruising, crawling, walking, climbing Pick up small objects with thumb and forefinger and can point Remember games and toys from past Enjoy dumping and filling Practice actions over and over Use objects symbolically

“ No Thank You”12-18 Months

Learn to understand a lot of new words Communicates in ways that sound like words ( jargon) May produce some words Can follow simple directions, but is not always cooperative Plays beside playmates and copies what they do May become frustrated Want to do things for themselves like feeding and dressing Moves around more easily- walks , climbs, runs Begin to problem solve Remembers familiar stories and shows preferences for stories Start to role play

When Should I Be Concerned

Children will develop skills at different rates

A good rule of thumb is most children should demonstrate 80% of the skills in a given age range.

A red flag might also be a regression in a child’s skills

What if I have concerns

Principles you might follow: Have a conversation with the family to see how the child responds at

home. Discuss how you can use this information to support the child. Select a skill to focus on and introduce it repeatedly for several weeks.

– remember that repetition is crucial – it is the way we learn Find as many opportunities as you can to practice the same skill

throughout the day If the family and caregiver continue to have concerns regarding the

child’s development they can discuss them with the child’s pediatrician and consider a referral to the Birth to Three program for further assessment.

Who Do You Call?

Three months to 34 months – talk to the family about referring to Birth to Three 1-800-505-7000

Thirty four months and up – talk to the family about referral to the school district in the town where the family lives