Pictability exists in 2 versions:
Explaining our Theory of Change
Now and Next is a capacity building initiative for families of young children with a disability or developmental delay and co-designed with them. This Theory of Change visual explains the practical work we have undertaken towards achieving this goal as well as the research we are building.
We started our work in 2015 at the bottom left of the visual by reviewing our evidence base which we list here. Then each theme builds as we reach the top where we demonstrate the outcomes for our Theory of Change.
We have an evaluation framework which includes standardised tools that measure the impact of our work. We are gradually building data for each level and you can follow our progress by exploring this site.
This family capacity building initiative works on 3 groups of people as shown in the illustration above as each has a part to play in our ultimate outcome which is building family capability through participation.
With participants who do the Now and Next program to achieve goals for their child, family or self [Right column]
With families who graduate and go on to train as Peer Workers [Mid column]
With professionals who support families' will to lead the teams which will support achieving their goals for their child and family [Left column]
Our research follows each of these three groups of people as they engage, train and expand their knowledge and become part of collective communities.
Click here for a list of our publications/presentations organised within our Theory of Change categories!
Dr. Annick Janson, Research and Innovation Director, explains our theory of change - in a special context.
Sylvana Mahmic is CEO of Plumtree Australia with 28 years’ experience in the early childhood intervention field. She promotes peer work and has incubated two new peer led organisations. She is completing her PhD on individualised funding and supports her son to self-manage his funding.
Dr. Annick Janson, Research Affiliate, Victoria University of Wellington, is a New Zealand-based clinical psychologist and researcher, focusing on changing the Health and Disability sector through family collective leadership. She was awarded a Gallup International Positive Psychology Fellowship.
Annick (L) and Sylvana (R) at the 2015 NDIS New World Brisbane conference
Despite the increasing uptake of family capacity-building theory in past decades, there is a dearth of practical tools to support its implementation in Early Intervention, to complement traditional discussion or assessment-based goal setting. We therefore expanded on earlier co-design with parents raising a child with disability or developmental delay, and tested practitioner experiential training.
Pictability(TM) is a game-like tool for parents to create their positive, strength-based vision for their child, their family and themselves. During the vision setting activity participants:
Select images to represent their child’s strengths
Choose images, ranging from concrete to abstract, from which they:
Formulate and write goals for their child, their families and themselves
Assemble these long-term aspirational goals on a Vision Board
Select one goal per category
Formulate first steps to achieve each goal, and Assemble these short-term goals onto an engaging ‘Action Board’, clearly delineating focus and action points.
Pictability visuals were co-designed with families to build capacity and inspire wellbeing and flourishing (Adler & Seligman, 2016), and they were informed by evidence about how parents used Individualised Funding to achieve their goals (Mahmic & Janson, 2018).
The tool includes multiple cards and boards designed to support parents expanding on ideas to create deeper and more meaningful (i.e., developmental, social, learning) children goals as well as family and personal goals for themselves. The visioning experience lasts about 1.5 hours. During the remainder of the two-day training, participants learn about the theoretical background of this approach, unpack each of the above activities, workshop them, facilitate one Pictability session with a family, and discuss their initial facilitation experiences in small groups.
In Australia: https://plumtree.org.au/contact-us
Rest of the world: Pictability@egl.ac.nz or Dr. Annick Janson.