Transcript Bilingual Education for Newly Identified Deaf Children and

The Importance of
Interagency Collaboration
by Early Intervention Programs
February 2, 2006
Ruth F. Howell, Ed.D.
Maryland School for the Deaf
Columbia, Maryland
Faculty Disclosure Information
In the past 12 months, I have not had a significant financial
interest or other relationship with the manufacturer(s) of the
product(s) or provider(s) of the service(s) that will be
discussed in my presentation.
This presentation will (not) include discussion of
pharmaceuticals or devices that have not been approved by
the FDA or if you will be discussing unapproved or “off-label”
uses of pharmaceuticals or devices.
The Importance of
Interagency Collaboration by
Early Intervention Programs
Ruth F. Howell, Ed.D., Director
Family Education/
Early Intervention Department
Maryland School for the Deaf
P.O. Box 894, Columbia, MD 21044-0894
FE / EI Snapshot


Established in 1968 by the Maryland
School for the Deaf (MSD) which has
two campuses: Frederick and Columbia
Presently serves more than 80 children
between ages of birth to five
Primary Purpose of
the Program

To establish communication between
deaf children and their families
Who Is Eligible?


All deaf and hard of hearing children
and their families are eligible
However, the child and the family must
be Maryland residents
Program Design


Home-based and center-based
Includes all 23 Maryland counties and
Baltimore City
Services to Children





Special instruction: home- and schoolbased
Speech therapy: center-based
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Ongoing assessments
Services to Children




Hearing aid loaner bank information
Cochlear implants / services for hard of
hearing children
Children with additional disabilities
Referrals to outside resources as
needed
Services to Parents /
Extended Family





Home visits: focus on individual needs
of each family
Instruction in American Sign Language
Parent rights: IDEA, NCLB, ADA
Amplification choices
Child development
Services to Parents /
Extended Family



Behavior management
Access to available resources
Early literacy and language
development
Parent / Family Services





Parent meetings on campus
Regional parent meetings
Evening events
Extended family: e.g., siblings,
grandparents
Child care providers
Networking with Other Agencies




Local Infants and Toddlers programs
Local Health Departments
Public and private agencies: e.g., DSS
Hospitals / audiologists / cochlear
implant centers
Interagency Agreement
Process


Developed interagency agreement with
Maryland Infants and Toddlers program
Developed interagency agreements with
each of the local infants and toddlers
programs throughout Maryland
Characteristics of Agreements

Agreements:



vary by county
are amended as needed
define how the local ITP and MSD will work
collaboratively
Characteristics of Agreements

Examples related to:




Provision of services
Service coordination
Reciprocity for referrals
Coordinating paperwork such as IFSPs
Characteristics of Agreements

Interagency agreements do NOT
require exchange of funds. They are
collaborative.
Advantages of Collaboration



Parents take advantage of both state
and local services.
Cost effective
Low incidence of deafness—generic
early interventionists may not be
familiar with deafness.
Cross Training
for Service Providers




WMEITC design
Western Maryland Early Intervention
Training Consortium
Pool resources to bring in trainers for
specific topics.
Identify strengths of service providers;
share resources.
Sharing Resources

Examples include:




Conducting assessments / sharing results
Compensating for the lack of teachers of
the deaf in some local ITPs
Trading resources such as foreign
interpreters or sign language interpreters
Identifying appropriate service providers to
meet needs of the child and family
Advantages of
Sharing Resources




Parents can access a myriad of services.
Parents see deaf / hearing partnerships.
Can combine resources regionally when
there is a low incidence of deafness
Families in nearby counties can meet
and interact.
Advantages of
Sharing Resources




It reduces stress for families.
Service providers develop relationships
among agencies.
It offers better coordination of services.
It offers additional resources for
families.
Advantages of
Sharing Resources


Service providers learn from each other.
It creates an atmosphere of teamwork.
Summary
Interagency collaboration is a
Win-Win
situation for families.