In 6 hours, a new map for early intervention in New Zealand was drawn. Leaders from around the country in the Ministry of Education met with me to plan strategically for improvements over the next 5 years. I led the group through a process built on implementation science, developing a logic plan that began with the group's identifying what they want early intervention to result in.
Once we identified the child and family outcomes, we plotted the organizational and systemic "outcomes" as factors to put in place to achieve the child and family outcomes. The group then defined what would constitute high quality practices. We looked at the practices in my Routines-Based Early Intervention and Engagement Classroom models to see if they would address what the group had identified as New Zealand's needs. They then planned timelines for starting to implement these practices and the deadline by which each would be fully implemented. This is a similar process to what we've used in the Northern district of New Zealand and in Montana in the U.S.
Finally, we organized the approval process for the people who've been introduced to the RBI this week.
This was a very productive day--a great way to end a fun, busy week. The Kiwis are committed, friendly, and knowledgeable. The future of early intervention in New Zealand looks bright.
