Student Field-Based Action Research in Early Intervention Settings
Becoming an Evidence-Based Early Intervention Practitioner
All students funded through the Early Intervention Certificate training grant participate in a 120-hour internship in the fall, spring and summer semesters. The fall semester internship is through the Family Child Learning Center (FCLC) of Akron Children's Hospital. In the spring and summer, students are placed in home and community-based settings, supervised by an Early Intervention professional through a local County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Through collaboration with the professionals and families in the internship site, students develop a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project.
In the action research process, each student works with a family to identify a need or goal that can be addressed through an evidence-based early intervention practice. Students develop a research question and a research plan following a Single-Subject Research design. Through a collaborative, family-centered process, students learn to:
- keenly observe, operationally define, and measure behaviors,
- plan and implement an individualized set of evidence-based intervention methods,
- coach a parent or caregiver in implementing the evidence-based practice within the context of the family's daily routines and activities, and
- regularly collect data to monitor progress and make data-based decisions regarding intervention.
The goal of the project is for students to develop the competencies to become evidence-based, collaborative, and reflective practitioners.
Students present their projects at Kent State University's annual Graduate Research Symposium and at the College of Education, Health and Human Services Research Gallery in the spring semester.
Graduate Research Symposium 2014
2013-14 Cohort
L-R: Dr. Sanna Harjusola-Webb (Associate Professor and Early Intervention Certificate Project Director), Stacey Jenkins, Heather Fournier, Kathy Supple, Rachelle Lay Hughes, Alleiah Keeley
View 2013-14 Student Work Samples Here
Graduate Research Symposium 2015
L-R: Michelle Gatmaitan (Early Intervention Certificate Project Coordinator), Shannon Lesnak, Dr. Ching-I Chen (Assistant Professor), Kaitlyn Warren, Jenna Dodson, Ryan Buck, Bridget Tompkins, Elizabeth Lattime, Phyllis Jadosh, Yolanda Mahoney, Dr. Sanna Harjusola-Webb (Associate Professor and Early Intervention Certificate Project Director)
Congratulations to Early Intervention students Elizabeth Lattime and Yolanda Mahoney for receiving awards for their presentations at the Graduate Research Symposium!
View 2014-15 Student Work Samples Here
Graduate Research Symposium 2016
2015-16 Cohort
L-R: Erin Goodridge, Amanda Yoho, Linda Wiley, Colleen Tullis, Randi McDaniel, Kyle Bauer
Congratulations to Erin Goodridge for receiving an award for her presentation at the Graduate Research Symposium!
View 2015-16 Student Work Samples Here