The Art and Practice of Home Visiting Second Edition Excerpt.pdf

The Art and Practice of Home Visiting

About the Authors

Ruth E. Cook, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita, Director of Special Education,
Santa Clara University, California
Ruth E. Cook, Ph.D. is professor emerita and was director of special education at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. Her primary focus as an educator was on inclusion of young children in early childhood settings. Formerly, she was also director of two inclusive campus preschool programs: one at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Los Angeles and the other at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. These experiences prompted her to be the lead author of Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs, now in its 10th edition. To further encourage inclusion, Dr. Cook is currently the lead author of Strategies for Including Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Settings.

Shirley N. Sparks, M.S., CCC-SLP
Associate Professor Emerita, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo
Shirley N. Sparks, M.S., CCC-SLP, is Associate Professor Emerita, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. While at Western Michigan University, Ms. Sparks spent a sabbatical year with the department of public health in Battle Creek, Michigan, doing home visits with public health nurses. More recently, she served as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Special Education at Santa Clara University.

Carole Ivan Osselaer, M.A.
Early Interventionist, University Supervisor, San Diego County, California
Carole Ivan Osselaer, M.A., is an early intervention teacher and university supervisor in San Diego County, California. Working with infants and families has been her passion since 1986, and she is committed to sharing that passion with others.

An Overview of Home Visiting

Learning Outcomes

  1. Explain the value of home visiting services.
  2. Identify the key elements in the history of home visiting.
  3. Discuss how the focus of home visiting has changed over time and why the change is significant.
  4. Describe the importance of evidence-based practices in home visiting.

Home visiting is a service delivery strategy that traditionally matched expectant parents and parents of young children with a designated support person—typically a trained nurse, social worker, or early childhood specialist. Home visitors get to know each family over time and tailor services to meet their needs. A home visit might include an assessment of child and family strengths and needs, provision of information on child developmental stages and progress, structured parent–child activities, family goal setting, assistance addressing crises or resolving problems, coordination with needed community services, or emotional support.