Programs

Step Ahead Goes “Toyless”

Around the Summer of 2009, Step Ahead, the Early Intervention program here at Rich/Lex, embarked on an exciting new initiative – going TOYLESS. Some of you may have been surprised to find that your EI was no longer bringing toys to home visits. And some of you may have wondered how your EI would provide Special Instruction without a bag of toys. By now, you have had the opportunity to see and to understand that in the world of Early Intervention, Toyless is best.

Early Intervention should occur in your child’s natural environment. One of the purposes of Special Instruction in Early Intervention is for the EI to model for families how to work with their child on a daily basis to help him or her to reach developmental goals. To gain the full benefit of early intervention it is critical for the family to continue developmental activities throughout the week. If the EI comes to your home or daycare with toys and leaves with those toys, you are simply not able to continue the same activities throughout the week.

Your EI uses your child’s toys and other things in your child’s natural environment to conduct Early Intervention activities. Zipping or buttoning while playing dress-up is an excellent way to improve fine motor skills. Picking-up cereal pieces also helps to develop fine motor skills. These activities are effective, and they don't involve the use of toys!

If you are interested in learning more about this strategy, here are some websites that discuss the topic:
http://naturalenvironments.blogspot.com/
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~edin/index.htm
http://tactics.fsu.edu/pdf/HandoutPDFs/TaCTICSHandouts/Module2/10step.pdf
http://www.siskin.org/resources/pdf/EINE__-_A_Five-Component_Model.pdf

We encourage you to discuss openly with your EI your goals for your child and to share any obstacles you encounter along the way. This will help us to help you reach those goals. If you have any questions or concerns, speak with your EI or one of our EI supervisors.