According to the course material, a key responsibility of a Resource Consultant is to collaborate with all members of the interdisciplinary team (McKague, 2024). This involves working closely with families, childcare staff, and center supervisors to gain a comprehensive understanding of the child’s interests, strengths, and needs. It is crucial for the RC to engage all parties and encourage them to share their valuable insights. For example, parents and caregivers provide detailed knowledge about the child’s behavior and preferences at home, educators offer observations on how the child interacts and participates within the program, and center supervisors have the authority to implement changes and ensure that strategies are effectively executed.

 

The Resource Consultant (RC) would then use appropriate screening tools to gather evidence-based information that helps families identify the child’s needs. Additionally, the RC may facilitate referrals for funding or connect families with other professionals for further support. By involving all team members, the Resource Consultant adopts a family-centered and strengths-based approach to develop an Individualized Support Plan (ISP) that outlines strategies to support the child, while also monitoring and following up on progress.

 

I was involved in a case for a 14-month-old child diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). At the time, I did not know about this condition, but my mentor provided me with an article from the AboutKidsHealth website that explained it. I learned that EoE is a chronic allergic disorder that causes the esophagus to become swollen when certain foods are consumed. Common symptoms include refusal to eat, vomiting, pocketing food, and poor growth and weight gain ("Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)," 2021). Understanding this condition helped me better comprehend the child’s emotional behavior, food refusal both at home and in the childcare center, and his weight loss.

 

During our observation at the childcare center, we noticed that the child was refusing to eat the food placed on the table, but he would eat food offered by a specific RECE from her hand. My mentor, Cristina, provided valuable insight into the situation, suggesting that the child’s reluctance to eat was related to a lack of security. Due to previous negative experiences with eating, the child had developed a fear of mealtimes and became very selective with food choices. Additionally, he wouldn’t eat or sleep when that RECE wasn’t present in the classroom. Cristina confirmed her theory by discussing it with the RECE and sharing her knowledge of the Circle of Security theory. She explained that the child felt a sense of security when eating from the RECE’s hand, which was why he refused food from the table. Cristina then suggested to the supervisor that the RECE should be assigned as the child’s main caregiver to help foster his sense of security. She supported her recommendation with an easy-to-understand graph on the Circle of Security, sourced from a trusted reference. The supervisor was convinced by this approach and agreed to make arrangements accordingly to better support the child.

 

I have learned the importance of understanding a child’s condition and being knowledgeable about child development for different ages, including stages such as infanthood and how babies develop a sense of security. With research and evidence-based knowledge, I will be more confident in making well-informed recommendations to parents and childcare staff.