CHILD DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Basic Purpose:

Positions in this job family are assigned responsibilities involving professional work with a high degree of flexibility in providing individual and family services to increase parenting skills and enhance the developmental potential of young children and/or children with developmental and acquired disabilities. This includes assessing development in young children; developing and implementing public health prevention programs for parents and young children to enhance their opportunities for cognitive, personal-social, language, and motor development; and serving as a member of a multidisciplinary team to monitor the effectiveness of child development services.

Typical functions:

The functions within this job family will vary by level, but may include the following:

· Conducts groups and workshops to educate parents in the area of child development through materials and curricula developed for this purpose.

· Provides developmental assessments of children birth through kindergarten-age; teach parents ways to enhance their child’s developmental potential.

· Keeps confidential records and writes reports essential to this work.

· Assists in the selection, preparation, and distribution of materials on child development which will further the purpose of this program.

· Provides in-service training in the areas of child development and parenting to staff at Head Starts, day care, preschool programs, or other programs as necessary.

· Counsels individuals and families on topics related to parenting and child development.

· Recruits clients for child development programs through contracts with community organizations such as public health clinics, hospitals, child care centers, civic organizations, pediatricians and the news media.

· Collaborates with other community agencies as well as plans and conducts community wide efforts to promote the health, development, and behavioral well being of young children and families.

· Participates as a member of a multidisciplinary/transdisciplinary team by staffing individual cases and groups and in developing treatment plans or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) pertaining to child development.

· Supervises the work of subordinate staff.

· Provide services to children and families in the child’s natural environment or the environment determined most appropriate by the child’s early intervention team.

· Initiate and implement steps necessary for smooth transition services from the early intervention program.

Level Descriptors:

The Child Development Specialist job family consists of four levels which are distinguished by the level of the complexity of specific job assignments, the extent of responsibility assigned for a specific task, and the level of expertise required for completion of assigned tasks and the responsibility assigned for providing supervision to others.

Level I Code: X32A Salary Band: I

This is the basic level of this job family where incumbents perform entry-level professional work in performing all of the essential functions of a child development specialist in a training status under close supervision.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of typical and atypical child development from birth through adolescence; of the skills and techniques for child care and guidance; of the methods and curricula of early childhood education or early childhood special education; and of community health and welfare resources for children and their parents. Ability is required to work cooperatively and effectively with both professional and non-professional groups and encourage participation in child development and early intervention programs; and to teach child development and parenting skills.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of completion of a master’s degree in child development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, developmental psychology, or family relations/child development or a master’s degree in special education with a minimum of 18 graduate, post graduate, or upper level hours (300 or above) in any of the following areas: typical and atypical infant and toddler development, parent-child relations, positive guidance/discipline strategies with young children, family systems, family relationships, assessment/evaluation, working with parents of exceptional infants and toddlers, and developmentally and individually appropriate early childhood curriculum and instructional practices.

Level II Code: X32B Salary Band: K

This is the career level where incumbents perform all essential functions of a child development specialist at the full performance level practicing a high degree of flexibility in developing and implementing programs to meet individual, family and group needs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include those identified in Level I plus the ability to assess children’s development and to provide educational programs to parents.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level I plus one year of post-master’s experience working in the area of child development, early childhood education, or early childhood special education and certification as a Child and Parenting Specialist (CCPS) through the Oklahoma Family Resource Coalition (OFRC).

Level III Code: X32C Salary Band: L

This is the specialist level where the incumbents are assigned responsibilities involving advanced level technical duties in child development. Incumbents at this level perform duties as consultant to other Child Development Specialists and may be designated lead worker.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of the principles, practices and ethics of parent education, early childhood education, or early childhood special education; of training and instructional techniques and their application; of the use of materials and curricula used in parenting education, early childhood education, or early childhood special education programs; of typical and atypical child development from birth through adolescence; of the skills and techniques for child care and guidance; and of community resources for children and their parents. Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; and to exercise initiative and independent judgment.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level II plus two additional years of post-master’s experience working in the areas of child development, early childhood education, or early childhood special education.

Level IV Code: X32D Salary Band: L

This is the leadership level where incumbents perform all essential functions of a child development specialist and are responsible for developing, administering, and/or directing programs and providing supervision to others.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of typical and atypical child development from birth through adolescence; of methods and techniques used to evaluate developmental skills and abilities; of procedures of conducting parent education; of the skills and techniques for child care and guidance; of the procedures and curricula of early childhood education; of community and state health and welfare resources for children and their parents; and of procedures for use in the education and in-service training of personnel in child care services and of principles and practices of effective supervision. Ability is required to supervise and instruct other child development specialists, and administer programs.

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified in Level III plus one additional year of post master’s experience working in the areas of child development, early childhood education, or early childhood special education.