Transcript EARLY INTERVENTION

EARLY
INTERVENTION
ECED 2060
HANDICAPPED CHILDREN’S EARLY EDUCATION
ASSISTANCE ACT (PL 90-538), 1968
Purpose was to improve early intervention services for
children with disabilities or who were at risk for disabilities,
and their families.
 Experimental centers – “First Chance Network”
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Better early educational practices
Parent involvement activities
Program evaluation systems
Federal $ for centers
Renamed “Early Education Project for Children with
Disabilities” in 1992.
HEAD START
Open door policy – ALL children who
met the economic requirement,
regardless of developmental status, were
included in Head Start.
 1972 – 10% of enrollment reserved for children
with developmental disabilities, even children
with “severely handicapped children.”
 Since Head Start began in 1965, more than 23
million children have attended.
 Today, more than 12.5% of children who attend
have an identified disability.
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EDUCATION OF THE HANDICAPPED
AMENDMENTS (PL 99-457), 1986
Part H – discretionary legislation
 (now Part C)
 Children ages birth to 3
 States may opt to provide
services; not required by law to
do so (1986 reauthorization)
 States are given grants (2004) to
provide early intervention for
children ages birth to 3.
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PART B OF IDEA
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Part B governs special education and related
services for children with disabilities between the
ages of 3 and 21.
PART C OF IDEA
Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
 For children under the age of 3, with some
exceptions …
 “urgent and substantial need … to
recognize the significant brain
development that occurs during a child’s
first 3 years of life …”
 “urgent and substantial need to
maximize the potential for individuals
with disabilities to live independently in
society …”
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REQUIREMENTS FOR STATES WHO ARE
PROVIDING AN EARLY INTERVENTION
PROGRAM (IDEA, 2004):
Early intervention services based on scientific
research
 Timely, comprehensive, multidisciplinary
evaluation of child and family
 Individualized Family Service Plan
 Comprehensive Child Find system
 Public awareness program focusing on early
identification
 Central directory that includes information on
early intervention services, resources, and experts
 Comprehensive system of personnel development
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MORE REQUIREMENTS …
Policies and procedures to ensure that personnel
are adequately prepared and trained
 A single line of responsibility in a lead agency A
policy about contracting with service providers
 A procedure for securing timely reimbursements
of funds
 A system for compiling data
 A State interagency coordinating council
 Policies and procedures to ensure that:
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To the maximum extent possible, services are provided in
natural environments;
 If not, the setting is most appropriate, as determined by
the parents and IFSP team
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EARLY INTERVENTION
“Early intervening services” new in IDEA 2004
 requires that schools use “proven methods of teaching
and learning” based on “replicable research.”
 Provided in “natural environments, including the home,
and community settings” to the maximum extent
possible.
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EARLY INTERVENTION
 “It
is the policy of the United States to provide
financial assistance to States to develop and
implement a statewide, comprehensive,
coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency
system that provides early intervention services
for infants and toddlers with disabilities and
their families …”
 Prevention of secondary
problems that may occur
as a result of the primary
disability.
EARLY INTERVENTION
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Developmental services that are:
Provided under public supervision;
 Are provided at no cost except where Federal or State
law provides for a system of payments by families,
including a schedule of sliding fees;
 Are designed to meet the developmental needs of an
infant or toddler with a disability, as identified by the
individualized family service plan team in any 1 or
more of the following areas:
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Physical development
 Cognitive development
 Communication development
 Social or emotional development
 Adaptive development
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AT RISK INFANT OR TODDLER
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An individual under 3 years of age who would be
at risk of experiencing a substantial
developmental delay if early intervention services
were not provided to the individual.
INFANT OR TODDLER WITH A
DISABILITY
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An individual under 3 years of age who needs
early intervention services because the individual
is experiencing developmental delays or has a
diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a
high probability of resulting in developmental
delay.
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
Defined by each individual state …
 Basically, however:
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A delay in one or more of the following areas:
 Cognitive development
 Physical development
 Communication development
 Social and emotional development
 Adaptive development
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OR
Has a diagnosed mental or physical condition that
has a high probability of resulting in developmental
delay.
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
The term “developmental delay” is generally used for
infants, toddlers, and sometimes preschoolers (up to
age 5).
 However, it can extend to age 9.
 State discretion for
much of this …
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INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY
SERVICE PLAN (IFSP)
Legal requirements similar to IEPs, but
including a “family-directed assessment” of the
family’s resources, priorities, and concerns.
 New requirement that the IFSP must include
“measurable results or outcomes expected to be
achieved … including pre-literacy and language
skills”
 Usually only used for infants and toddlers, but
may be used for preschoolers and possibly older
… not commonly …
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CHILD FIND
Child Find requires school districts to identify,
locate, and evaluate ALL children with
disabilities, including children who are homeless,
home schooled, wards of the state, and children
who attend private schools.
 If the child has a disability and is eligible for
special education services, the school does not
have to give the child a “label” before providing
services.
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EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Family
training,
counseling, and
home visits
 Special
instruction
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Speech-language
pathology and
audiology
services, and sign
language and
cued language
services
 Occupational
therapy
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Physical
therapy
 Psychological
services
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Service
coordination
services
 Medical
services
only for
diagnostic or
evaluation
purposes
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Early
identification,
screening, and
assessment
services
 Health
services
necessary to
enable the infant
or toddler to
benefit from the
other early
intervention
services
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Social
work
services
 Vision
services
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:
 Assistive
technology
devices and
assistive
technology
services
 Transportation
and related costs
that are
necessary to
enable an infant
or toddler and
their family to
receive another
service.
EARLY INTERVENTIONISTS
Special educators
 Speech/language
pathologists
 Audiologists
 Occupational
therapists
 Physical therapists
 Psychologists
 Social workers
 Nurses
 Registered dieticians
 Family therapists

Vision specialists,
including optometrists
and ophthalmologists
 Orientation and
mobility specialists
 Pediatricians and
other physicians
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