Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships (MEISR™) Manual

Research Edition

by
R. A. McWilliam, Ph.D.

The University of Alabama

and Naomi Younggren, Ph.D.
Department of Defense Army Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS)
Early Intervention Programs
With invited contributors

Preface: The Need for the MEISR

The Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships, or MEISR™, is a uniquely designed tool organized by family routines. As such, it fills the functional assessment void found in the field of early intervention. The MEISR is structured around 14 everyday home routines and designed to be used with children from birth to 36 months of age. Items reflect the functional skills infants and toddlers typically display in each routine; for each item, a typical starting age is listed. To complete the MEISR, parents or other caregivers rate each item with a 3 (if the child does the skill often or has progressed beyond it), a 2 (if the child does it sometimes), or a 1 (if the child does not yet do it). If an item is rated 3, the child is considered to have mastered the skill. The intervention professional uses the caregiver’s ratings to determine the percentage of items mastered for each routine and then to complete a scoring summary. In this way, the MEISR provides a profile of child functioning in everyday life.

About the Authors

R. A. McWilliam, Ph.D.

Professor and Department Head, Department of Special Education and Multiple Abilities, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Robin McWilliam is the originator of the Routines-Based Model, implemented in 10 countries and many states in the United States. He is a professor of special education at The University of Alabama, where he founded and directs the Evidence-based International Early Intervention Office (EIEIO).

Naomi Younggren, Ph.D.

Early Childhood Consultant, Department of Defense Army Educational and Developmental Intervention Services.

Dr. Naomi Younggren is currently the Part C/Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Coordinator for the Department of Defense Army Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) Early Intervention Programs.

Assessing a Child’s Functioning

The MEISR helps build an understanding of a child’s engagement, independence, and social relationships within the context of 14 common family routines. Completed by caregivers during home visits, the MEISR helps paint a picture of the child’s functioning and highlights future learning opportunities.

Routines Assessed by the MEISR

• Grocery Shopping
• Play With Others
• Going Out
• Outside Time
• Bedtime
• Toileting/Diapering
• Play by Him- or Herself
• Hangout – TV – Books

Implementing the MEISR

In this comprehensive MEISR manual, you’ll discover how to:

• Introduce the MEISR to families
• Implement and score the MEISR
• Interpret results accurately
• Review the MEISR with families and develop individualized intervention priorities
• Integrate the Routines-Based Interview (RBI) with the MEISR
• Use results of the MEISR to inform federal child outcome reporting
• Monitor your program’s effectiveness with the help of data from the MEISR

Conclusion

Make the MEISR a part of your early intervention program, and you’ll have a powerful tool that helps families enhance natural learning opportunities and support their child’s engagement.