Once eligible, your child will be assigned an Early Interventionist or EI. The EI will complete a Family Assessment in order to then develop your child’s Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This Family Assessment is a semi-structured clinical interview designed to help families decide on their child’s outcomes and goals so an individualized plan can be developed. The interview will be a discussion of the child’s day-to-day living and provide an accurate description of child and family functioning, so areas of improvement and priorities can be established. It will also help to establish a positive relationship between the family and the early interventionist.
During the assessment, the EI will pay close attention and note where they see opportunities for the child in five key areas:
After it’s been determined that your child is indeed eligible for Early Intervention – that’s when your Early Interventionist will work on providing an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Family Service Plan (FSP) for your child and family.
The IFSP is very important. It’s your roadmap to receiving Early Intervention services. So, it is highly customized to your child’s needs and developmental delays, as well as the needs of your family. The services in your IFSP may include some combination of the following services and resources:
The IFSP will also explain how the Early Intervention process will work for your child and family. It will explain the following things:
Specialists may be involved in the process as well but the type of specialist will depend on your child’s specific needs. The types of specialists that may be involved include:
Once the IFSP is created and signed by the family, the plan can be implemented and the child can start benefiting from the services. The first step of implementing the IFSP is to describe the services to the child in a way they can understand. You want them to know what is going to happen. After that, the early intervention professionals will use the IFSP to customize their services to best fit the child’s needs.
The IFSP team will review the document every six months and must update it at least once a year. The group will look at how the child has progressed and if the family situation has changed at all. What services the child needs and what resources the family receives may be changed according to the child’s progress. The family’s resources, priorities, and concerns along with the developmental goals will drive the intervention strategies and services.
The IFSP is a working document that should evolve as your child develops and gains skills or as your family’s resources, priorities, and concerns change.
Once the child is close to turning three years old, transition planning begins. This ensures the process from early intervention to preschool or another community program goes smoothly. Additionally, your child will be referred to the school district for eligibility determination. If found eligible for school services, then the Individualized Education Program (IEP) which is like an IFSP but for older children through their local school districts will be completed.
During the transition process, the team should consider whether the child would benefit from being in an inclusive environment or what other support or services need to be provided.
If your child has a developmental delay or disability, they may be eligible for early intervention services. With an IFSP, your child will receive the support and services they need to learn and grow — and the sooner they start, the better! For more information, contact our team at About Play today.
