Developmental Solutions Workhops

Pima Family Engagement

WHAT DOES the Developmental Solutions Workshops program provide?
The Family Engagement Program is partnering with the Marshall Foundation and the University of Arizona’s Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department to provide services to families with children aged 24-48 months with suspected communication delays. Caregivers whose children meet program criteria will participate in a series of Developmental Solutions Workshops that provide parents with the tools to promote their child’s communication abilities. Upon completion of the program, parents should have increased skills and abilities to help their child meet communications milestones.

WHEN WILL THEY BE AVAILABLE?
The program is anticipated to receive referrals as early as March 2023. At this time, representatives from community agencies (AzEIP, DDD, Child Find, PCP, Audiologists, Head Start, and Parents as Teachers) may refer families, and caregivers are invited to self-refer. In March 2023, referral forms will be available on this website.

Developmental Solutions Workshops are expected to begin in May 2023.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Once a family is referred to the Developmental Solutions Workshop program, the child will be scheduled for an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) Developmental Screening provided by the UA’s Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department. Caregivers whose children score below expected developmental levels in communication on the ASQ-3 will be accepted into the Developmental Solutions Workshops. Delivered by the Family Engagement Program, this six-month series of workshops will provide caregivers with learning tools to promote growth in their child’s communication. Once caregivers complete this series, their child will receive another ASQ-3 communication screening to determine skill development and any suggestions for next steps.

For more information, contact Frances Holguin at francesholguin@arizona.edu

Frances Holguin has been providing community parent education training in various settings since 2001. She works with the University of Arizona, Family Engagement Program to meet community parenting needs. Frances is a Fellow with Arizona LEND, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, focusing her learning on supporting neurodivergent populations. Frances is the Council Trainee with the National Training Directors Council at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. She is endorsed by the Infant Mental Health Coalition of Arizona as an Infant Family Associate and certified with the State of Arizona as a Developmental Specialist. Frances focuses on providing quality, evidence-based parenting curricula and therapy services using a trauma informed lens. Her experience in behavioral health, parent education, and community outreach allows her to confidently work across a multitude of cultures and build community partnerships. Frances has strong knowledge in behavioral health and developmental services available for children birth-five.

She is in her second-year practicum for her Masters in Social Work and currently providing therapy services for neurodivergent populations at Intermountain Centers for Human Development. Frances is passionate about supporting children with developmental and sensory processing delays in addition to children with a diagnosis of autism. She enjoys supporting the community with her highly interactive workshops that allow parents to both learn and have fun in her classes! Frances enjoys spending time traveling with her husband and embracing the ever-changing relationship with her adult sons.

Jennifer joined Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences in January, 2009. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her graduate degree from the University of Arizona. Jennifer worked at Tucson Medical Center for 20 years, where she developed a variety of pediatric- based inpatient and outpatient programs and mentored graduate students from universities across the west. For 5 years, Jennifer was the pediatric speech-pathologist for The University of Arizona Medical Center’s Diamond Children’s PICU, NICU, and acute care settings, where she instructed and mentored graduate students in speech pathology, was a member of the interprofessional Developmental Long-Term Care and Pediatric Trach steering committees, and led the interprofessional NICU Feeding Task Force.

Jennifer has a strong interest in working with children who are medically fragile and complex, as well as working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders and autism. Jennifer has presented nationally and internationally on how SLPs can support infants in the NICU and feeding and swallowing disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Jennifer currently provides instruction and mentoring to graduate students in SLHS’ on-campus clinic, and is on the faculty of ArizonaLEND Maternal and Child Health Training Program.