Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) Teaching Scale Workshop
   
We learn from human ecology theory that caregivers and children mutually influence and provide feedback to each other. It is from thousands of repeated interactions between caregivers and children that children’s emotional, physical and intellectual needs are met – or not. Positive quality interactions during the first years of life tend to be positively linked to children’s subsequent cognitive and language capacities and to more secure attachments to major caregivers.

Observing a parent teaching a child a new age-appropriate task provides a window into the behaviours each brings to the interaction. Teaching episodes are relatively brief, usually around five minutes. Because the teaching is novel for the caregiver and infant, it places some stress on the interactive system. It thus allows us to look at the adaptive patterns of the caregiver and child outside their well-rehearsed routines.
(Ref. NCAST PCI Program)

This engaging, lively and interactive workshop uses extensive NCAST video sequences of teaching situations to familiarise participants with specific characteristics that indicate the quality of the caregiver-child interaction.

Expected outcomes
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe behaviours brought to the interaction by caregiver and child and the contingency of their responses to one another
• Easily identify strengths as well as areas needing improvement
• Assess concerns early in the caregiver-child communication/interactive pattern at a point when intervention is most effective
• Be able to plan the most direct and effective way to help parents with their infants and young children
• Have potentially gained 85% reliability in rating parent-child teaching interactions. Final reliability scales completed on Day 3 are sent to NCAST, USA, for assessment.

Workshop outline
Day 1. Concepts and scale items
Day 2. Participants score and assess four practice scales from video sequences
Day 3. Participants score five scales for reliability assessment from video sequences

Workshop length?  3 x 8 hour days

How many participants? 10-12 maximum

Who will benefit from this workshop?
Service providers (nurses, psychologists, social workers, physicians, therapists, early childhood teachers) and researchers who work with young children and their families

Presenter
Pam Stilling will facilitate this workshop which requires a certified NCAST PCI program trainer. Groups are small so that one-to-one support can be given throughout. More About Pam.

Materials required per participant:
NCAST Teaching Set comprised of Teaching Scale Manual, Teaching Scales (1 pad of 100 tear off sheets) and Teaching Kit (standardised) @ AUD230.00

Cost – Individuals (2009 price)
AUD730.00 for participation in this 3-day workshop
Fee includes catering and cost of materials valued at AUD230.00.

Reminder: In Australia, self-education expenses and ‘tools of trade’ such as teaching sets are tax deductible.

Payment options include cedit card (via Paypal), electronic bank transfer, invoice, purchase order and cheque.

Cost - Organisations and Groups(2009)
AUD2800.00 for facilitation of 3-day workshop plus cost of materials
Client to provide venue, AV equipment and catering and to bear facilitator’s travel and accommodation costs if workshop site is beyond reasonable daily commuting distance of Melbourne.

Contact
Please contact Pam Stilling with any questions or for more information.
Pam Stilling
PH +61 (0)3 9877 1539
Skype: pamsti1
Email: understandingbabies@gmail.com
www.understandingbabies.com.au
ABN 43 197 488 235