Navigating the world of special education as a parent can feel overwhelming and anxiety provoking. As an advocate with K Altman Law, our goal is to ensure parents know their rights and options, so that they can feel empowered to make informed decisions about their child’s educational needs. After reviewing the following information, you will have knowledge about Early intervention, including definitions of key concepts, an understanding of the referral and evaluation process, timelines and time frames, and an overview of services provided.
INTRODUCTION TO EARLY INTERVENTION:
So what is Early Intervention (EI)? EI is a program providing services to children from birth to age three in individual areas of need such as cognition, communication, social-emotional support, motor skills, adaptive behavior and beyond. Early Intervention is a federally funded state-run program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C. This program ensures that children with developmental delays or diagnosed conditions receive support through an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) in their natural environment, such as their home, community, daycare, caregivers home, ect. These services are available in every U.S State and Territory.
WHO EARLY INTERVENTION SERVES:
Early Intervention supports children with developmental delays, diagnosed disabilities, and conditions with a high risk of delay who are between the ages of birth and three years old. If a need is identified through the referral and evaluation process, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed with an emphasis on family involvement. Family-centered practices in Early Intervention involve treating families with dignity and respect, providing them with complete and unbiased information to make informed decisions and involving them in action on choices to strengthen the child, parent and family functioning.
UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY:
One of the ways to qualify for Early Intervention includes the presence of a developmental delay in one or more areas of development. Skills such as taking a first step, smiling, waving “bye bye” are milestones for development, noting how children develop in how they play, learn, speak, act and move. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has updated lists of expected milestones based on age from 2 months to 5 years. Early childhood development notes ranges for development, as children develop at their own pace. The presence of a delay may be typical, environmental, or indicative of an underdeveloped skill in need of intervention. Examples of these delays include:
TYPICAL the child is a bit slower to walk, presenting with a very calculating cautious temperament – with patience and support of caregivers the child may learn to walk slightly outside of the expected range.
ENVIRONMENTAL a child is unable to demonstrate an alternating gate pattern when walking up and down the stairs – but the child has limited to no exposure to stairs, as the home does not contain stairs and the child is supported by a nanny in the home during the day.
UNDERDEVELOPED SKILL a child is not developing in specific skill areas such as communication and play skills, despite exposure, and support from the caregivers and daycare providers – additional services are needed for the child to gain these skills, such as Early Intervention!
RECOGNIZING CONCERNS AND TAKING ACTION
As a parent, it can feel overwhelming to ascertain in your child is developing typically or atypically. You’ve likely chatted with other parents, had endless google searches, and you are feeling lost, overwhelmed, and unsure. So, what should you do if you suspect or are unsure if your child is developing appropriately?
Talk to your child’s Primary Care Doctor or Pediatrician. These professionals can ask questions about your child’s development and environment to help you determine if a referral to EI an appropriate next step is.
Contact Early Intervention service providers directly and make the referral yourself. If you are unsure, airing on the side of caution and getting the evaluation from a professional can help you gain clarity and the information needed to determine eligibility.
You can view the the CDC Developmental Milestones here: CDC’s Developmental Milestones | CDC and compare your child’s development to see if your concerns are in line with age specific expectations.
GETTING CONNECTED: Referral and Initial Contact
Referrals often come directly from pediatricians and daycare providers, but parents and grandparents/caregivers can self refer as well! To reach your local EI program, first find your state departments, in Massachusetts for example it is EI@mass.gov. From there you can locate a phone number and describe the concerns you have about your child’s development. From there the agency will connect you to a local EI provider that will schedule your screening/evaluation. If found eligible, the team will draft the Individualized Family Service Plan and start services with 45 days of referral.
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS: TIMELINES and TIMEFRAMES
Once a referral is made to Early Intervention, the initial evaluation to determine services eligibility must be completed within 45 days. A multidisciplinary evaluation is used to assess the child in all the five developmental domains: physical, social/emotional, cognitive, communicative and adaptive.
The physical domain involves the senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, hearing and proprioception – or the bodily awareness of one’s orientation in space, gross motor skills and fine motor skills). The social emotional domain includes how to regulate his or her internal emotional state and read the social cues of others. The Cognitive domaine refers to the ability to mentally process information, to think, reason and understand what is happening around you. The Communicative domain is the ability to comprehend, utilize and manipulate language including phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. The Adaptive domain refers to the self care skills such as eating, drinking, bathing/dressing and toileting.
After the evaluation is complete, an eligibility determination is made. If the child is developmentally behind, or is diagnosed with a condition that has a high risk for leading to a delay, the child will be done eligible for Early Intervention services depending on the domains impacted. Since this is a family centered service, the family will work with the early intervention team, including the Service Coordinator assigned to support them to determine goal areas the family would like to address in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
The INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY SERVICE PLAIN or IFSP
An IFPS is a family-centered service plan that includes family goals and routines delivered in natural environments with ongoing assessments using developmental evaluations to assist a child with their developmental delay or diagnosed disability. IFSPs should be functional, with real life naturalistic goals that are culturally responsive and in line with the parents’ concerns. IFSPs are monitored by a Service Coordinator, the main point of contact for parents. The services on the IFSP may include Speech Therapy (ST), Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), Developmental Intervention (DI).
Speech Therapy focuses on communication development. Occupational therapy focuses on fine motor, feeding and sensory regulation. Physical Therapy focuses on gross motor skills. Developmental Intervention focuses on early learning skills, play skills and cognition.
The IFSP is reviewed every six months, and updated annually at minimum and include the following:
- Child’s Developmental Status
- Family Priorities and Resources
- Outcomes for Child and Family
- Services Provided (type, frequency, duration, setting)
- Transition Plan for Post-Age 3
- Funding and Service Coordination Info
THE EARLY INTERVENTION TEAM AND FAMILY ROLES
The Early Intervention team includes the family, the Service Coordinator, Therapists and Specialists. Additionally, pediatric and medical workers, social workers and educators can be included members of the child’s Early Intervention Team as well. The Family’s role is to be active participants in the planning and intervention services, sharing priorities and observations and integrating the learned skills and therapies into daily routines to ensure effective progress.
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