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Step 2: Meeting Your Initial Service Coordinator
Once your child is referred, your Early Intervention Official will assign an
initial service coordinator to work with you and your family.
The job of your
initial service coordinator is to help you with all the steps to your first
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Your initial service coordinator will
start by setting up a time to meet with you to explain the Early Intervention
Program.
Your initial service coordinator will talk with you about your concerns
about your child's development. She or he will:
- Make sure you have a copy of A
Parent's Guide to the Early Intervention Program.
- Review your family rights
and make sure you understand them.
- Talk with you about your child's evaluation
for the program.
* Give you the list of evaluators in your county and help you
pick one that will meet your child and family needs.
* With your permission,
help arrange for your child's evaluation.
* Help you arrange for transportation
to your child's evaluation, if you need it.
* Go with you to your child's
evaluation if you wish. If your child's evaluation shows that she or he is
eligible for the Early Intervention Program,
your initial service coordinator
will:
* Set up a meeting to work on your IFSP.
* Help you understand what this
meeting will be like, who else must be there, and who can be invited.
* Answer
your questions about the Early Intervention Program.
* Explain how your health
insurance can be used and that early intervention services will be at no cost to
you.
* Help you resolve any problems that might come up – including
disagreements about the services you and your child might need.
If the
evaluation shows that your child is not eligible for early intervention
services, your initial service coordinator will tell you about other services
that can help. Or you can appeal the decision (see "Your Rights as a Parent in
the Early Intervention Program," page 26, to learn more about appeals). If you
and your initial service coordinator agree that your child needs help right away before his or her evaluation, you can get services started with an Interim
Individualized Family Service Plan (interim ISFP).
An interim IFSP is possible
as long as you and your Early Intervention Official agree to needed services,
your child's evaluation is completed, and an IFSP meeting is held within 45 days
of referral. An Interim Individualized Family Service Plan must include: * The
name of the service coordinator who will be responsible for the interim IFSP.
*
A physician's or nurse practitioner's order, if needed, for early intervention
services in the interim IFSP.
* The early intervention services needed
immediately and the location, frequency and intensity, and providers of these
services.
Interim IFSP An interim IFSP may be needed when:
* A doctor recommends
services begin right away.
* A baby or toddler has trouble feeding (such as poor
or no sucking ability) and needs nutrition or therapy services to help.
* Family
stress is high, and the child is at risk for out-of-home placement.
Step 3: Having Your Child Evaluated
If you decide that the Early Intervention Program can help your child, the next
step is to have your child evaluated.
The reasons for the evaluation are to:
*
Find out if your child is eligible for early intervention services; and,
*
Gather facts about your child's strengths and needs that will help you make good
decisions about services.
If your child has a diagnosed disability, she or he
will always be eligible for early intervention services. Your child will still
need a multidisciplinary evaluation to look at all areas of development and help
with the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Every
child referred to the Early Intervention Program has the right to a free
multidisciplinary evaluation.
Multidisciplinary simply means that more than one
professional will be a part of your child's evaluation.
Your child's evaluation
team should have:
* A professional who can look at your child's overall
development.
* A professional with special knowledge about your child's problem.
For example, if your child is delayed in sitting up, walking, or other motor
abilities, a motor therapist might be on your child's team. Your initial service
coordinator will give you a list of evaluators.
You have the right to choose any
evaluator from this list. Ask your initial service coordinator if you need more
information about an evaluator. Your initial service coordinator can give you
more details and help you decide on an evaluation team that will be best for
your child and family. Once you pick an evaluator, either you or the initial
service coordinator – with your permission – will call the evaluator and make an
appointment for your child and family.
You, your service coordinator, or your
evaluator must tell your Early Intervention Official about your choice.
Checklist of important evaluation information * Types of professionals that will
be on your child's team and an explanation of what they will do.
* How long the
evaluation will last.
* Your child's developmental age levels and what that
means.
* A diagnosis, if possible.
* Specific areas where your child needs help.
* Explanation of tests – if any – that will be used and what these tests can and
cannot tell you about your child's development.
* What the evaluator is looking
for in your child's responses.
* What your child does well.
* What your child
needs help with, and suggestions about how you can help.
* The types of services
that may help your child and family.
* The name of another parent or parent
group that can offer support.
* Books, newsletters, magazines, and videos to
help you find information about your child's developmental needs....
Step 4: Making a Plan for Services
- Your IFSP I-F-S-P means...
Individualized...
the plan will be specially designed for you, your child, and your family.
Family...
the plan will focus on your family and the outcomes you hope to reach for your
baby or toddler and your family through early intervention.
Service...
the plan will include all the details about the early intervention services your
child and family will participate in including when, where, and how often
services will be delivered. Your IFSP can also include other services that your
child and family needs that will not be paid for by the Early Intervention
Program.
Plan...
the plan is a written plan for early intervention services. ...
family-centered! If your child is eligible for the Early Intervention Program,
the next step is to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Your
IFSP must be completed within 45 days after your child's referral to the Early
Intervention Official, unless YOU "stop the clock" (for example, if your child
is sick and the evaluation must be delayed). The IFSP is the written plan for
the early intervention services your child and family will receive. You will
work on this plan at an IFSP meeting. Your initial service coordinator will set
up the meeting to work on your IFSP. Your initial service coordinator will tell
you what happens at the IFSP meeting and help you prepare.
Some facts you need to know are:
* The IFSP meeting must be held at a time and place that is good for you and
your family.
* You, your initial service coordinator, your Early Intervention Official, and
evaluation team – or selected member of the team – must take part in the
meeting. Your Early Intervention Official may send someone else to represent him
or her (an Early Intervention Official "designee"). The Early Intervention
Official may also ask your service coordinator to act as "designee."
* You can invite others to be at the IFSP meeting – family, friends, your
babysitter, or child care provider.
* Your service coordinator can invite others to take part in the meeting, with
your permission.
* You can ask an advocate to take part in the meeting. * You need to give
permission to use any information from your family assessment, if you had one.
* You will be asked to select an ongoing service coordinator at the meeting.
* The meeting will be held in the language you speak, unless it is clearly
impossible to do so. Before the meeting, your initial service coordinator will
make sure you understand your child's evaluation. She or he will also talk with
you about the possibilities for early intervention services.
Here are some suggestions for what to think about when planning for your IFSP
meeting, and things you may want to talk about with your initial service
coordinator: * How would you describe your child to others?
* What is working well for you at home?
* What do you need help with?
* What help do you want for your child?
* What do you need more information about?
* What places or activities in your community could early intervention help your
child take part in?
Step 5: Putting Your IFSP Into Action
An important goal of the Early Intervention Program is to make sure infants and
toddlers get early intervention services as quickly as possible. The sooner, the
better! Your family's IFSP will include the dates, as soon as possible after the
IFSP meeting, when early intervention services will begin. Your ongoing service
coordinator is responsible for making sure the early intervention services in
your IFSP are delivered and helping out with any problems. Putting your IFSP
into action, though, is a team effort! You and your family are important members
of the team.
Be a part of your child's services. You can do this by:
* Being
with your child when she or he is getting early intervention services. Arrange
for services at times good for you, when you can pay full attention to what's
happening.
* Asking the professionals working with your child to teach you the skills you
need to help your child make progress.
* Keeping notes, a diary, or a journal about how well services are working and
how well your child is doing.
Think about what is and what isn't working. Ask for a change in services if you
think a change is needed. Reviewing, evaluating, and changing the IFSP As your
child grows and changes, so will the early intervention needs of your family. To
be sure your IFSP keeps pace with your family and stays useful, the Early
Intervention Program requires:
* Six-month reviews of the IFSP. The review may – or may not – include a
meeting. If everyone agrees, the six-month review can be completed over the
phone or by mail, or other ways that don't involve a meeting.
* Annual meetings to evaluate the IFSP.
* A process for changing the IFSP between the six-month reviews and annual
meetings. Your ongoing service coordinator is responsible for making sure the
IFSP is reviewed and evaluated on time.
The following persons take part in the six-month reviews and annual meetings to
evaluate the IFSP:
* You and anyone you ask to participate.
* Your ongoing service coordinator.
* Your Early Intervention Official or designee.
* The professionals who are providing services to your child and family, if it
makes sense to include them.
* Other persons invited by your service coordinator, with your permission.
* An advocate, if you invite one. The six-month reviews and annual meetings to
evaluate the IFSP are designed to make sure that the IFSP still makes sense for
your child and family. You and the other participants will look at how well
early intervention services have helped your child and family meet the outcomes
in your IFSP.
You will also talk about what should be changed in the IFSP. This may include:
* Adding new outcomes and dropping old ones that have been reached – or that are
no longer important or useful.
* Changing strategies and activities to help meet new outcomes or outcomes that
have not been reached yet.
* Changing the services needed by your child and family. Just like your initial
IFSP, you and your Early Intervention Official must agree on IFSPs that come out
of six-month reviews and annual IFSP meetings.
You will be asked to sign the IFSP, to show you agree and give your permission to provide
services. And just like your initial IFSP, you can ask for a mediation or
impartial hearing if you disagree with your Early Intervention Official about
certain services – while getting the services you do agree on. You can request a
review of your IFSP at any time. Your ongoing service coordinator can set up an
IFSP review whenever one is needed.
Step 6: Transition means passage from one form, state, style, or place to another
All too soon, your child will be turning three years old! As your child changes
from a "toddler" to a "preschooler," he or she will also be "transitioning" from
the Early Intervention Program to other services.
Children can stay in the Early Intervention Program for a short time after they
turn three. If your child's third birthday is between January 1st and August
31st, your child can stay in the Early Intervention Program until August 31st of
that calendar year.* If your child turns three between September 1st and
December 31st, your child can stay in the Early Intervention Program until
December 31st of that calendar year.....
* Your ongoing service coordinator will help you plan for other services when
your child leaves the Early Intervention Program. Some children will no longer
need any services.
Other children and families may go on to early childhood programs or to other
appropriate services in the community. Many children in the Early Intervention
Program will be eligible for preschool special education services from their
school districts and counties. The steps to transition A transition plan must be
developed for every child leaving the Early Intervention Program and going into
other services. Usually, the transition plan is developed at your last IFSP
meeting before your child transitions.
Your child's transition plan will
include: The steps needed to help your child get used to and get along in a new
setting.
The steps needed to prepare service providers who will help your child
transition to a new setting and/or services.
The individuals responsible for
taking the steps needed to help your child make the transition. With your
permission, your service coordinator will incorporate the transition plan into
your IFSP.
If you or someone else thinks your child may be eligible for preschool special
education services, your Early Intervention Official will notify the Committee
on Preschool Education (CPSE) in your school district. Your Early Intervention
Official can notify the CPSE only with your permission. If you give your
permission: Your Early Intervention Official must notify the CPSE at least 120
days before your child can start preschool special education services. Your
service coordinator will review transition steps with you.
Your service coordinator will send evaluations, IFSPs, and other records to the
CPSE – with your permission. If your child is referred in writing to CPSE, you
have the right to select an evaluator approved by the State Education Department
from a list provided by the Board of Education.
The CPSE, with the approved
evaluator, may review the existing evaluations and records sent by your service
coordinator to determine if there is a need for additional evaluations before
you and the CPSE can decide if your child will be eligible for preschool special
education services. If you agree, your Early Intervention Official will convene
a conference with you, your service coordinator, and the chair of the CPSE in
your school district to discuss your child's transition.
This conference must happen at least 90 days before your child's third birthday.
A transition conference can happen in many ways. For example, it can be a
telephone conference call, or it can be combined with the first meeting of the
CPSE. The transition conference must be at a time and place good for you and the
other participants.
For more information about preschool special education services, contact the
Preschool Special Education Unit at the State Department of Education at (518)
473-6108.
*These dates apply only to children who are eligible for CPSE services.
Otherwise, a child's eligibility for EI services ends at the child's 3rd
birthday. (An amendment to Public Health Law Sections 2541 and 2548 on
age-eligibility for EI services was passed as part of the 2003-2004 NYS budget.)
Preparing for transition Here are some tips for preparing your child and family
for the transition from the Early Intervention Program to preschool special
education services: Learn what transition is and why it is important for your
child and family.
Learn what is the same and what is different between early intervention and
preschool.
Make sure your last IFSP includes all the necessary steps to help
your child make a good transition to preschool special education services or
other early childhood services. Find out what you need to know and what skills
you need to develop to make sure you get the most out of preschool special
education services. Get a copy of A Parent's Guide to Special Education –
published by the State Department of Education. Ask your school district for
your free copy.
Call your local Early Childhood Direction Center (see "Welcome to the Early
Intervention Program").
The ECDCs are funded by the State Department of Education to help parents and
children get preschool special education services. Some questions for parents to
think about in making the transition are: What new information is needed about
your child? What skills will your child need to get along in a new setting? Are
there adaptive equipment needs, or modifications needed where your child will be
getting preschool special education services?
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