Individualized Family Service Plan Research Articles

Future Policy Direction of Special/Inclusive Education in Nepal

This study critically analyzed the future policy direction of special/inclusive education in Nepal. Using qualitative data collected through document analysis, interviews, and focus group discussions. This study is based on the premises of qualitative research design under the interpretative paradigm followed by critical interpretive design to analyze and interpret the field data. For this, 15 (fifteen) policy experts from Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, Department of Education, university professors, and 11 head teachers from 6 special and 5 integrated schools, and special education council members and members of disabled related organizations were purposively selected as the informants.
 The establishment of the Disability Right Commission at central level would be much effective for the overall development of special/inclusive education in Nepal. It has also been found that establishment of the special/inclusive education council secretariat would contribute to further expansion of special/inclusive education service in Nepal. Development of a provincial level master plan for special/inclusive education training for stakeholders has been strongly recommended for the overall development of special education in the country. The study also suggested that future policy development and its practice is to be based on research-based evidence. It also recommended for establishment of at least one special education center and one model school in each province, and at least one support center at each local level.
 This study implies that a coherent policy-making is required through the consultation with the relevant stakeholders from the central, provincial, and local level in such a way that there is minimum gap in the power sharing among agencies at different levels of governance. Finally, this study suggests for developing future policies that support establishment of residential schools, individual education plan, transitional planning and individualized family service plans to enhance the promotion of disability sector in Nepal.

Improving connections to early childhood systems of care via a universal home visiting program in Massachusetts

Welcome Family is a universal, short-term nurse home visiting program designed to promote optimal maternal and infant physical and mental well-being and provide an entry point into the early childhood system of care to all families with newborns up to 8 weeks old living in defined communities in Massachusetts. The present study examines whether: 1) Welcome Family meets its goal of successfully connecting families to two early childhood programs—evidence-based home visiting (EBHV) and early intervention (EI)—relative to families with similar background experiences who do not participate in Welcome Family, and 2) whether these impacts are conditional on families’ race and ethnicity and their primary language—two characteristics that are related to structural racism and health inequities. The study used coarsened exact matching (CEM) based on birth certificate data to match Welcome Family participants who enrolled during 2013–2017 to mothers and their infants living in the home visiting catchment areas who did not receive home visiting during the study period. Primary study outcomes included enrollment in any EBHV program supported by the Massachusetts Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MA MIECHV) program up to age 1 year, measured using MA MIECHV home visiting program data, and EI service receipt for children aged up to age 3 years, measured using EI program data. Impacts were assessed by fitting weighted regression models adjusted for preterm birth, maternal depression, and substance use. Mothers’ race, ethnicity, and language were included in the model as moderators of Welcome Family impacts on enrollment in EBHV and EI. Welcome Family participants (n = 3,866) had more than double the odds of EBHV enrollments up to age 1 and had 1.39 greater odds of receiving EI individualized family service plans (IFSPs) up to age 3 relative to the comparison group (n = 46,561). Mothers’ primary language moderated Welcome Family impacts on EBHV enrollments. Universal, short-term programs such as Welcome Family may be an effective method of ensuring families who could benefit from more intensive early childhood services are identified, engaged, and enrolled.

Is medical home care adequacy associated with educational service use in children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

BackgroundThe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends medical home care for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for health needs. Children and youth with ASD also receive educational services for cognitive, social, and behavioral needs. We measured whether inadequate medical home care was significantly associated with current educational service use, controlling for sociodemographic factors.MethodsWe analyzed the 2016/2017 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on 1,248 children and youth with ASD ages 1–17. Inadequate medical home care was operationalized as negative or missing responses to at least one medical home component. Educational service use was defined as current service use under individualized family service plans (IFSP) and individualized education programs (IEP).ResultsInadequate medical home care was significantly associated with higher likelihood of current educational service use (aOR = 1.95, 95% CI [1.10, 3.44], p = 0.03). After adjustment, older children (aOR = 0.91, 95% CI [0.84, 0.99], p = 0.03), lower maternal health (aOR = 0.52, 95% CI [0.29, 0.94], p = 0.03), and children without other special health care factors (aOR = 0.38, 95% CI [0.17–0.85], p = 0.02) had significantly lower odds of current educational service use.ConclusionsInadequate medical home care yielded higher odds of current educational service use. Child’s age, maternal health, and lack of other special health care factors were associated with lower odds of current educational service use. Future research should examine medical home care defined in the NSCH and improving educational service use via medical home care.

Factors Associated with Early Intervention Intensity for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

We quantified the intensity of early intervention (EI) services allocated to 1262 children who were deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) within a state program and identified factors associated with intervention intensity. Child specific data were collected on children born between 2008 and 2014. Data from Individualized Family Service Plans of children enrolled in Part C EI programming were evaluated for the type and duration of services during their EI enrollment. Associations between EI intensity and child/family variables were examined. Median age of EI enrollment was 5.3 months. The most frequently received services included primary service coordination, specialized DHH service, special instruction, language therapy, and family training; 60% of children received 4 or more different EI services. The median service intensity was 138.1 min per month across all EI years. The factors associated with higher EI intensity included severe hearing loss, bilateral hearing loss and presence of a disability. Children enrolled in EI at later ages received higher intensity of specialized DHH services, suggesting a need to “catch up” due to late acquisition of services. Evaluating EI service intensity broadens our understanding of effective components of state-based programs that support the developmental needs of children who are DHH.

Quantifying the intersection of disability and homelessness in Massachusetts public schools in 2018-2019.

Homelessness has a major impact on the educational and health trajectories of children. Youth with disabilities may be especially vulnerable to experiencing homelessness, but little epidemiological work has been done to characterize dual disparity. Our goal was to describe the relationship between homelessness and disability among students (age 3-21) receiving public education in Massachusetts in 2018-2019. We evaluated the proportion of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness by county and school district. We used publicly available data from the United States and Massachusetts Department's of Education. These data used the McKinney Vento Homelessness Assistance Act definition of homelessness which is a lack of fixed, adequate, and regular housing, and disability was determined by the presence of an individualized education program or individualized family service plan. We calculated percentages of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness at the state, county, and district level and calculated and mapped risk of homelessness comparing students and without disability. We also determined the occurrence of disability among those experiencing homelessness. In Massachusetts public schools, 3.5% of students with disabilities experienced homelessness compared with 2.4% of students without disabilities (relative risk 1.50, 95% CI: 1.47, 1.53). A greater proportion of students with disabilities experienced homelessness compared with students without disabilities in all counties. In sum, 24.8% of students experiencing homelessness had a reported disability. In Massachusetts public schools, a greater proportion of students with disabilities experience homelessness compared with students without disabilities, and disability is common among students experiencing homelessness. We hypothesize potential mechanisms, such as the financial cost of disability, that may lead to this finding. Findings support the need for additional funding and interventions for school districts and communities to better serve vulnerable students with disabilities experiencing homelessness.

Examining the current practices of the individualized family services plan with young children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

Early intervention programs play an important role in supporting young children with disabilities and developmental disorders in acquiring various life skills before they reach school-going age. The present study aims to examine the current practices of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for young children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia using a quantitative design. A sample of 212 early intervention providers—males (n = 35; 16.5%) and females (n = 177; 83.5%)—were surveyed. The IFSP questionnaire was based on Maryland State’s IFSP form. The order of the dimensions employed in the study from the highest to the lowest was as follows: initial data, the present level of the child’s development, permissions, early intervention services, information about the child and the family, and transition services. The findings of the study revealed that the current practices of the IFSP for young children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia were at the ‘often’ level.

Intervention Approaches Used for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder—Autism Toolkit

Intervention Approaches Used for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder—Autism Toolkit

Statewide policies to improve early intervention services: Promising practices and preliminary results

The State of Nebraska Co-Lead agencies, who are responsible for developing statewide early intervention policies, rolled out professional development for two evidence-based strategies across several pilot sites. Implications of these strategies for child/family assessment, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development, and Early Intervention service delivery were examined utilizing family (n=30) and professional interviews (n=50), and analyses of IFSPs (n=30). The results of this mixed method study indicate widespread strategy implementation with fidelity fosters early working relationships with families and enables teams to generate, using family members’ own words, a robust group of high-quality child and family IFSP outcomes. Family engagement in planning services such as identifying service providers and setting the frequency and length of home visits was limited. In addition, further professional development is needed to strengthen use of routines-based interventions during home visits and promote family-professional collaboration to monitor child/family progress. Implications for systematic scale-up of evidence-based practices as a function of state policy implementation are reported.

Progress Toward an Early Social Indicator for Infants and Toddlers

Measures of young children’s social development are needed in the Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) approach to early childhood. In 2004, we reported initial development of an observational measure of infants’ and toddlers’ social skills designed for early educators, the Early Social Indicator (ESI). Here, we report preliminary findings on the ESI’s feasibility, sustainability, and sensitivity to growth in social engagement based on a large, multiyear sample of children in one early childhood program that agreed to pilot the measure. Results indicated that ESI use by program staff was sustained over a 5-year period. Program staff were reliable coding a range of children’s positive and negative nonverbal and verbal social skills. However, staff were not reliable when coding the target of a child’s social response when it was not the Adult play partner (i.e., the Peer, or Nondirected target). Results documented sensitivity to growth over time, dynamic patterns of change within and across key skills consistent with the typical course of social development, and moderation by children’s home language and Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) status. Implications are discussed.

How Professionals Collaborate to Support Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities in Child Care

As it is common for infants and toddlers with disabilities to receive their early intervention (EI) services in child care programs, this mixed method study examined the experiences of child care and EI providers (e.g., occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists) in collaborating to support infants and toddlers with disabilities in child care settings. Through an online survey and in-person focus groups across a large state, findings indicated that although professionals may interact with each other during EI visits at child care, meaningful collaboration such as including child care providers in Individualized Family Service Plans and embedding intervention strategies into daily routines was minimal. Participants noted many barriers including liability concerns; information sharing; funding and time for collaboration; and minimal training and understanding of child care and EI programming. Participants provided suggestions to support future collaboration including building relationships through shared training, substitute staffing to attend meetings, and clear program and state policies.

State Variability in Diagnosed Conditions for IDEA Part C Eligibility.

An infant or toddler can begin the process of receiving Part C early intervention services by having a diagnosed condition with a high probability of developmental delay (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004). How states define those diagnosed conditions that begin the initiation process varies widely. Lists of diagnosed conditions were collected from state Part C websites and Part C coordinators for a descriptive analysis. Across 49 states, the District of Columbia, and 4 territories, a final list of 620 unique conditions was compiled. No single condition was listed by all jurisdictions. Hearing impairment was the condition listed by the most states (n = 38), followed by fetal alcohol syndrome (n = 34). Of the 620 conditions, 168 (27%) were listed by only 1 state, 554 (89%) were listed by fewer than 10 states, and 66 (11%) were listed by 10 or more states. Of these 66 conditions, 47 (71%) were listed by fewer than 20 states. Most of these 66 conditions (n = 48; 72.7%) had a prevalence of "very rare or rare," 8 (12%) were "common," 6 (9%) were "very common," and 4 (6.1%) were "unknown." The wide heterogeneity in the number and type of diagnostic conditions listed across states should be further investigated as it may represent imbalances in children with diagnosed conditions gaining access to Part C evaluations and individualized family service plans and potentially the services themselves across states. In addition, providing ready access to lists of diagnosed conditions is a simple step that could help states and Part C programs facilitate access to services.

Direct, Indirect and Intermediary Relationship: Father Involvement, Early Intervention Program and Well-Being of Children with Special Needs

This research is led by t he scenario that involve the fathers, early intervention programs and well-being of children with special needs. Therefore, this research was to examine whether the three constructs orvariables ha ve direct, indirect and intermediary relationship (mediator) using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The samples are 158 father s who have children with special needs aged 4 to 8 . T he results of this research prove that measure ment of seven item s in three constructs is significant and suitable for Well-being of Children with Special Needs (Child Health, and Child Housing and Environment); Early Intervention Program (Individual Family Service Plan, and Screening); and Father Involvement (Process Thought, Shared Interest, and Time). In conclusion, this research has proved the major findings, implications, and contribution to be used for future research.

Needs of Military Families: Family and Educator Perspective

Limited research has focused on the unique needs of military families and their preschool-age children and even less work focused on military families whose preschool children have special needs or disabilities. Researchers implemented a multicase qualitative research design conducted at two sites to gain the perspectives across all service ranks. The study included two groups of participants from each site including (a) early educators working for the school district associated with each military base, and (b) families who had been deployed within the past 5 years and had a child with a disability, or who was at risk for developing a disability, younger than the age of 8 years. Researchers used a semi-structured question protocol to align with the study’s overarching purpose, theory, extant research on military families, and the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) recommended practices for serving children with special needs and their families. Based on the data gathered, researchers describe professional development needs related to developing transportable detailed Individualized Family Service Plans and Individualized Education Programs, using family-centered approaches, and creating a collaborative partnership between school leadership and military command.

Individualized Family Service Plan Quality and Alignment of Child-Focused Outcomes to Federal Outcomes and State Early Learning Guidelines

We used two judgment-based scales to evaluate quality features of 623 individualized family service plans (IFSP) contributed by 73 service coordinators in one state. We also explored the alignment between the skills specified in child-focused IFSP outcomes, the three Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) early childhood outcome categories, and the knowledge and skill statements included in state early learning guidelines. Findings showed IFSP content generally was family-centered and of good quality. Outcomes were more frequently aligned with the IDEA outcome categories addressing the use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs and the acquisition and use of knowledge and skills. Outcomes were aligned more frequently with early learning guidelines in the areas of physical development, speech/language development, and approaches to learning. We discuss how instruments and procedures could be used to evaluate IFSP quality and determine connections to expected knowledge and skills for all children identified by state and federal programs.

Update on the EMI for Infants and Toddlers

Universal screening and progress monitoring measures are increasingly of interest to early interventionists who make decisions about the services provided to young children. A measure of infant-toddlers’ growth in early movement, the Early Movement Indicator (EMI), was reported in 2002. However, the EMI has remained an experimental measure based on a small sample and not used broadly by practitioners in real-world programs. We addressed this limitation by advancing knowledge the EMIs scalability through a website and improved psychometrics in a large sample. Results indicated that the EMI was (a) scalable evidenced by a large volume of early childhood staff users in programs in five states with 628 children and 2,258 individual EMI assessments, (b) sensitive to growth over time, (c) comprised of a complex continuum of skill development, and (d) influenced by moderators (i.e., home language, Individual Family Service Plan [IFSP] status). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Collaboration during IEP and IFSP Meetings in a Refugee Resettlement Community: Lessons from Cultural Liaisons

Teachers working with refugee families who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and receiving special education services often rely on cultural liaisons to provide interpreter and translator services during Individualized Educational Program (IEP) and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to interview nine cultural liaisons, who live in a refugee resettlement community, regarding their experiences and advice for teachers when conducting IEP and IFSP meetings with refugee families. Semistructured interviews resulted in themes or suggestions for teachers on how to prepare for the meetings, conduct the meetings, and communicate with families through the cultural liaison in addition to an appeal for teachers to learn about the cultures and consistently demonstrate respect. Implications for future research and teacher preparation are discussed.

Father Involvement, Early Intervention Program and Well-being of Children with Special Needs

Normal 0 false false false BS-LATN-BA X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times New Roman,serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} The scenario of the issues that father involvement, early intervention program and well-being of children with special needs have led to be studied. Therefore, this study was to examine whether the three factors or constructs or variables has direct, indirect and intermediary relationship (mediator) using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 3.2.3 software. 158 samples of fathers who have children with special needs aged 4 to 8 years have answered the questionnaires for survey research. In addition, the results of this study prove that measures seven item in three constructs is significant and is suitable for Well-being of Children with Special Needs (Child Health, and Child Housing and Environment); Early Intervention Program (Individual Family Service Plan, and Screening); and Father Involvement (Process Thought, Shared Interest, and Time). In conclusion, this research has proved Early Intervention Program as a Mediator, development a Model of Father Involvement in Early Intervention Program for Well-being of Children with Special Needs and the further study in future is scrutinized with emphasis an Early Screening.

Developing the Home-based Early Intervention Program: A Case Study

The current study was aimed to develop a home-based early intervention program based from activity-based approach and to prove the effectiveness of the program on 18 month old child with developmental delay/risk of delay. Developmental delay was assessed with DENVER II Developmental Screening Test (DENVER II DST) at first. The child was also assessed in detail within the current study and it was determined that the child had developmental delay. After receiving family’s approval, procedures were conducted according to the steps of early intervention. After detailed evaluations, filling the Individualized Family Service Plan and determining the goals for the child, researcher implemented the early intervention program. All of the family members were incorporated with the program and 36 developmental support programs were implemented in home environment. Results show that the early intervention program has a positive effect on the child’s development and mothers’ opinion is positive about the program.

Deconstructing the genealogy of family-centredness in early childhood intervention using a poststructuralist lens / Deconstrucción de la genealogía del enfoque centrado en la familia en las intervenciones de atención temprana, desde un punto de vista post-estructuralista

This paper aims to examine the genealogy of family-centredness in early childhood intervention. In particular, it deconstructs the procedural requirements, such as the completion of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), which has operated to serve the notion of family-centredness. Employing a poststructuralist lens, the paper contends that the current knowledge/belief is constructed and institutionalized by the dominant groups, such as policymakers and professionals, and their discourse. Families are normalized with discursive practices to believe that their participation perfects the rules set by powered social institutions with knowledge and power; hence, they are at the centre in the practice of services and provisions. Blinded by the normalized discipline, the historically absented position of families in the construction of social structures has perpetuated through the existing practices. Thus, this paper offers a critical reflection on the understanding of multiple discourses. In particular, both service providers and families should be able to question the process of service provisioning, when necessary. By critically viewing the current case, the development of quality early childhood intervention programmes and family-centred practices might be purported across countries.

The paradox of early intervention: families’ participation driven by professionals throughout service process

Early intervention conceived as a program for young infants and toddlers with developmental needs and their families, how early intervention practice establishes family participation in the service process - from referral, evaluation, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting, to service delivery - was considered in this article. Employing disability studies perspectives, the study contends that although families have gained legal rights for family participation in the law, the requirements do not guarantee the quality of family participation. Using a qualitative case study approach, this study looked at both participation and perceptions of families in the early intervention service process in the metropolitan area of the US. Three families’ experience in the process of early intervention was observed, and how these parents reflect on their participation in the development of early intervention service planning and delivery was examined through in-depth interviews. Findings showed that the families’ participation varied by service providers. The disparity resulted from variable availability, competency levels, and approaches of individual service providers during the service process. In addition, early intervention professionals who are bounded by the requirements in a professional bureaucracy, including the procedural requirements, often impinge on the quality of family participation and limit families’ opportunities for quality service provision. The paper suggests rethinking about how the practice can be implemented.