National Outcomes
Every state is required to report information on child progress for the National Outcomes. For us at UF North Central Early Steps, these outcomes tell us how our program is helping you and your family. The National Outcomes consist of the following:
Family Outcomes
Every year, for a period of three months, we ask families preparing to leave UF North Central Early Steps to provide us with feedback by answering an online Family Outcomes Survey.
We ask families to tell us how as a result of the individualized support and services families received, they will:
- Know their rights
- Effectively communicate their child’s needs
- Help their child develop and learn
Child Outcomes
The three child outcomes include functional skills and behaviors that are important for a child’s participation in day-by-day routines across settings and situations.
Children will demonstrate improved:
- Positive social-emotional skills and social relationships
- Acquisition of knowledge of skills including language and communication
- Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs
Child Outcomes Summary (COS)
The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process is the tool we use to determine Child Outcomes. As a parent, it’s important for you to know where your child is in their development and what comes next. The COS is a team process that takes multiple sources of information and combines them to create a snapshot of your child’s development.
Find more information below about Child Outcome Summary and ways you can support your child’s development.
Where is my child’s development and what comes next?
As a parent, you are the expert and know your child better than anyone else. Essential to your ongoing support is knowing where your child’s present developmental achievements are and what comes next.
One way Early Steps assists you in determining how your child is learning is by gathering information in the following areas, commonly referred to as the 3 Global Outcomes:
- Child has positive social-emotional skills
- Child acquires and uses knowledge and skills
- Child uses appropriate behaviors to meet their needs
How and when is this information collected on my child?
The Child Outcome Summary (COS) process makes use of a 7 point scale to summarize information on your child’s developmental achievements’ and next steps. Using this process, you and your team will consider multiple sources of information about your child’s development including your expertise, team observations, and assessment tools. We will complete your child’s first COS during your initial evaluation and continue the COS discussion during your periodic Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) updates.
How will this help me as a parent?
Knowing where your child is can help you decide what family activities and routines can best support your child’s continuing develop-ment. The team, including you, will be able to use this information to support your child’s developmental growth by utilizing activities you are already doing throughout your day (such as feeding, dressing, diaper changes, storytime, and more) as learning opportunities.
Remember YOU are an important member of the team and the expert on your child…
Your input is vital to determine your child’s progress and current developmental stage.
How does Early Steps report progress?
Early Steps is also using the Child Outcome Summary (COS) rating scale to measure child progress and report it to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This information helps us to examine our effectiveness. Your information remains confidential and the information shared is not attached to your or your child’s personal and private records.
What are Daily Routines and why do they matter?
You heard it before, routines are important for child’s development, but what is a routine? Routines are a part of our daily life. They are the meaningful events, common chores, and work associated with living. Routines are not sched-ules or imposed tasks. Routines are all those meaningful, common activities that you and your child do every day to get through day-to-day life.
Activities like preparing for a meal, haircare, taking care of the family’s pet, going out in the car, and household chores are examples of the many routines that you can turn into opportunities for learning. Routines are great because they are:
- Consistent
- Predictable
- Repetitive
- Flexible
- Meaningful
- Easy to break into small steps
Routines occur on a regular basis and are repeated frequently helping your child practice skills throughout the day. Children learn and thrive when they actively participate in routines, in settings, and with people familiar to them. Early Steps can help you to support your child’s development with meaningful and enjoyable learning strategies you can easily incorporate into your family’s daily activities.personal and private records.
Sharing Information with other members of your Early Steps Team
Sharing your routines with your team is important. This information, along with details about your family’s traditions, can be used to enhance your child’s skills and lead to positive outcomes.
The following are some questions that can help you when sharing those day to day activities:
- What is your child’s favorite and least favorite activity, toy, game, food and people?
- How does your child interact with you in routines like bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting, etc.?
- When is your child most/least cooperative?
- What frightens your child?
- What calms your child?
- What activities are more challenging for you/your child?
- Do you or your family have a tradition or value that you consider important for your team to know?
- Who helps or supports you in caring for your child?
- What are your hopes and dreams for your child?