The Infant CARE-Index – online training

Overview

The Infant CARE-Index (ICI, Crittenden, 1981) is the simplest and most versatile of the DMM assessments. It assesses patterns of interaction of infants and their carers from birth to about 15 months of age based on a 3 minute video-recorded play interaction. It does not assess attachment & captures the best of dyad’s functioning (rather than capturing the dyad’s response to stress, i.e., attachment).

The ICI has extensive published validating evidence.

Once the coder is trained, coding of an interaction takes about 15-20 minutes. The measure assesses carers on three scales: sensitivity, control and unresponsiveness. There are also four scales for infants: cooperativeness, compulsivity, difficultness, and passivity. These scales tend to be related to the carer’s scales in the order listed.

The scales:

1. Are highly correlated with the Infant Strange Situation assessment patterns of attachment
2. Differentiate abusing from neglecting, abusing-and-neglecting, marginally maltreating, and adequate dyads
3. Can be used during intervention, and
4. Can be used to assess the effectiveness of intervention.

The information derived from the Infant CARE-Index can be used as quasi-continuous or categorical data by researchers.

In addition, however, the procedure is easily applied to “live” observations made by health visitors, early years staff, midwives, clinicians and social workers. Needless to say, such observations cannot be treated as reliable when video is not used, but the method is effective in the same way that guided observations or interviews are; furthermore, specific training of what to look for sharpens both one’s observation and one’s ability to tell others exactly what the dyad did and why it should be interpreted in a particular manner.

The course is taught  online via Zoom Video conference in 12 teaching sessions spread over 3 months.

The course is taught by video and depends on observations of both adult and infant behaviour. Non-verbal behaviour, interpersonal strategies, and developmental processes are emphasised.

Mandatory Course Requirements

It is essential that trainees attend all of the teaching sessions.

Competency to code is assessed by a reliability test(s) after the training.

Course participants will be expected to undertake practice coding during the training and in between the taught days. Not completing the practice is likely to seriously impede the level of reliability that can be achieved.

The Family Relations Institute issues participants with a reliability certificate stating the percent agreement with the standard. This reliability can be reported. Evidence of reliability should be requested if the participant will code data for others.

Competence in administering the procedure is also assessed and therefore course participants are required to submit 3 videos that reflect their intended applications and culture(s) (2 normative, 1 clinical). These videos are used to assess the participant’s competence in administering the procedure.

Course Timings

Training days run at different times to allow for attendance from students on different timezones. Please check a specific course to check timings.

You will be required to code a number of procedures between the teaching sessions. Consequently, participants should be entirely free of other obligations during the training.

Includes

All teaching, handouts,  manual, feedback on practice and the reliability tests.