Using a Routines-Based Interview Process to Gather Data that Support the Development of Functional
IEP Goals and Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Ratings
Adapted from R.A. McWilliam (2010)
Background
The Routines-Based Interview (RBI) is part of a functional intervention planning process. It was originally
conceived and developed by Dr. Robin McWilliam for the purposes of a) getting to know families, b)
assessing family needs, and c) setting priorities for early intervention goals. While originally intended for
infant-toddler interventionists, the same process may prove effective for preschool staff to:
• get to know families;
• incorporate parent concerns and input into the development of IEP goals;
• help practitioners develop more functional home programs or activities;
• identify the most appropriate routines of the classroom day in which to embed IEP goals and
• obtain on-going assessment information about the child’s functioning across all three child
outcome areas (positive social relationships, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and ability to
get needs met appropriately) and across settings based on parent and teacher interviews.
The interview process is semi-structured. It may be used to interview families and/or teachers. The
process focuses simply on the parent or teacher recounting a child’s behavior throughout each routine
of the day. McWilliam (2003) notes that “during the discussion of routines and other issues, someone
takes brief notes, marking clearly those areas that sound like potential priorities for the parent or the
teacher.”
After describing each routine, the parent rates his or her satisfaction with that routine, and is asked if
there is anything about the routine that they would like to be different. When interviewing teachers,
they are asked to rate how well the child fits within the particular routines of the classroom. Areas of
need are starred. Once all the routines have been reviewed, two more questions are asked that can
elicit an emotional response. The first question is, “If you could change anything about your life, what
would it be?” The second question is, “When you lie awake at night worrying, what is it you worry
about?”
Overview of Interview Structure
Introduction to the Interview for Families
The interviewer begins the process by stating, “The purpose of today’s meeting is to go through your
day-to-day activities with your family to find out more information about how your child is doing in
his/her development. This is the best way of organizing our thoughts. Is that OK? Anything you don’t
want to say, don’t say! You can end this at any time. OK? At the end, we’ll have a lot of information that
will help us monitor how well your child is progressing. I’m going to ask you to describe what happens in
your family during a typical day.”
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Improving the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014
Questions about Home Routines
(see Possible Parent Interview Questions about Child Functional Behavior in Home Routines and
Organizing Parent Interview Information into the Three Child Outcomes)
Once the main concerns are written down, tell the family you will now ask about their day-to-day life.
Routines are simply activities or events during the day. At first, parents will go through the routines too
quickly, so back them up and slow them down. Say, “let’s go back to waking up time…tell me….”
You will capture notes about how the child actually functions in the routines at home. Write your notes
specifically and objectively. Ask the parent, “What does that look like?” For example, a parent may say,
“she pulls up her Pull-Ups (diaper).” When you ask “What does that look like?” parents tend to actually
describe how the child pulls up her/his pants. Write down the description verbatim. It is this kind of
“scripting” and questioning that will allow you to age-reference the behavior more easily.
You ask questions about each routine or time of the day, starting with “waking up” time. You are trying
to see how well the child is engaged in the activities that occur within the routine, how independent the
child’s behaviors are during the routine, and how he/she relates to others socially within the routine.
Parents are asked to rate their satisfaction for each routine. In doing so, the preschool staff may identify
what is most important to a family about their child’s needs.
After the first routine is discussed, ask the parents to tell you what routine comes next in their day. You
may use these conversation starters/questions as prompts if necessary (See Possible Parent Interview
Questions about Child Functional Behavior in Home Routines and Possible Teacher Interview Questions
about Child Functioning in Classroom Routines). However, do not use them as a required list of
questions for the interview. The conversation should be very natural and not especially formal.
For each routine:
1. Ask questions that will give you a “picture” of what the parent is trying to describe, such as:
▪ What does this look like?
▪ What does the child do? How does this child participate in the routine?
▪ What is everyone else doing?
▪ Questions around how independent the child is in this routine
 E.g., How does he/she get out of bed?
 E.g., How does he/she get his/her breakfast?
▪ Questions around the child’s social relationships in this routine
 What’s the child’s communication like?
 How does the child get along with others?
2. Rating for Routine: on a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate your satisfaction with this
routine? Is there anything you would like to be different?
▪ #1 being poor
▪ #3 being average
▪ #5 being excellent
3. Rating for Speech Intelligibility (for Speech & Language Pathologists):
▪ For a Familiar Listener: on a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate how well you
understand what your child is trying to say to you during this time of the day?
 #1 when the child’s conversational speech is minimally understandable
 #3. When the child’s conversational speech is moderately understandable
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Improving the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014
▪
 #5. When the child’s conversational speech is highly understandable
For an Unfamiliar Listener:
 If there is usually another person included in this routine, you may be able to
ask the parent how well the other person understands the child during this time
of the day.
 During the teacher interview you may also be able to ask the teacher and the
teacher assistant how well they understand the child during each routine of the
day.
Recap at the end of the Interview [Brief, 5 to 6 minutes]:
▪ Review/recap the notes with the family and/or teacher, especially those concerns that have
been starred.
▪ Ask if these notes are a good description of how well their child is doing right now
▪ Ask the family and/or teacher to explain how they think their child’s speech/language delay
impacts their child.
References:
McWilliam, R.A. (2003). Giving Families a Chance to Talk So They Can Plan. American Association for
Home Based Early Interventionists News Exchange. Volume 8. No 3.
McWilliam, R.A. (2010). Routines based early intervention. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
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Improving the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014