Individualized Family Service Plan Research Articles

Can Embedding Prompts in the IFSP Form Improve the Quality of IFSPs Developed?

The purpose of this study was to determine in what ways the quality of plans developed by individualized family service plan (IFSP) teams changed following targeted revisions to the IFSP form and instruction manual. IFSPs were collected from 94 family service coordinators, one IFSP from each before and one from each after the form revision. The revision included adding written prompts to the IFSP form and manual targeting three areas: (a) recording family routines; (b) recording families’ priorities for emotional, material, and informational support; and (c) connecting routines and priorities to outcomes and procedures. Results of multivariate analyses of variance for repeated measures indicated that the quality of IFSPs improved after document revision. Follow-up univariate tests showed statistically significant improvement in 7 of 12 indicators of IFSP quality.

Meeting Needs of Young Children at Risk for or Having a Disability

Poverty-related factors place children at higher risk for disabilities and also serve as barriers to families accessing services for their children and themselves. Early childhood practitioners can play a critical role in supporting families by providing services to overcome these obstacles and by working in partnership with specialized early intervention programs to assure the families and children receive those services. Families (N = 3,001) enrolled in the Early Head Start (EHS) Research and Evaluation Project were randomly assigned to the program group (who received EHS services) or the control group in a rigorous, experimental design study in order to evaluate program impacts. All participating families were living in poverty, included a pregnant woman or a child below age 1, and were eligible for EHS. The majority of children enrolled in the EHS Research and Evaluation Project was identified as having at least one of a great variety of disability indicators (e.g., family received Part C services, child has been diagnosed as having asthma). There was a very small number of families, however, actually enrolled in Part C services. Enrollment in EHS was associated with children being less likely to have cognitive or language delays and their families being more likely to receive early intervention (Part C) services and have Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) when they needed them.

Siblings of Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities in Early Intervention

The current study investigated the perceptions of families regarding the inclusion of siblings of children with disabilities by early intervention providers. Eighty-seven respondents who had a child enrolled in one state’s Part C early intervention program completed the survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. Results indicated a significant correlation (a) between having goals for siblings on the Individualized Family Service Plan and parents’ report of whether siblings were included by the service provider in sessions, (b) between wanting goals and the respondent’s relationship to the child, and (c) between having goals and county of residence. Qualitative results verified how siblings were included in early intervention routines by early intervention providers, that goals related to siblings were not often included in the Individualized Family Service Plan, and that parents reported that siblings wanted more information about the child’s disability. In addition, families viewed explaining the disability to siblings as a critical component for helping siblings understand the child with disabilities.

Conceptualizing Supports and the Support Needs of People With Intellectual Disability

This is the third in a series of perspective articles (Schalock et al., 2007; Wehmeyer et al., 2008) from the Terminology and Classification Committee of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). The purpose of these articles is to share our thoughts on critical issues associated with terminology, definition, and classification in the field of intellectual disability and to seek input from the field as we prepare the 11th edition of AAIDD’s Diagnosis, Classification, and System of Supports Manual (the working title). In the first article (Schalock et al., 2007), we explained the reasons for shifting from the term mental retardation to intellectual disability. Although the two terms cover the same population of individuals, we concluded that intellectual disability was the better term because it

The SLP and Early Intervention with Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss

The SLP and Early Intervention with Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss

Effects of Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics on the Timeliness of Provider Designation for Early Intervention Services in New York City

The Early Intervention (EI) Program of the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene provides therapeutic services to children under 3 years of age with developmental delays or disabilities. Although the EI Program targets delivery of services within 21 days of the meeting at which the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed, the designation of a service provider alone often takes longer than that. This study examined associations between individual and neighborhood characteristics and timeliness of provider designation in NYC. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for 14,623 children who had their initial IFSPs developed in Fiscal Year 2004. Provider designation was delayed 13.4% of the time for speech therapy, 10.0% of the time for special instruction, 8.2% of the time for occupational therapy, and 4.2% of the time for physical therapy. Individual characteristics independently associated with provider designation delay were: being older than 24 months, having the IFSP meeting between July and December, having an adaptive delay, and having speech therapy or special instruction in the IFSP. Neighborhood characteristics independently associated with provider designation delay included living in a low-income neighborhood and living in a heavily Spanish-speaking neighborhood. Delayed provider designation occurs because of both individual and neighborhood factors. Interventions are needed to address shortages of providers in certain neighborhoods or with specific skills, and to address surges in administrative program functions at certain times of the year.

Assistive Technology Use with the Birth to Three Population: A Rural Perspective

Previous research found infants and toddlers, age birth to three, capable of using assistive technology (AT), and the Federal Government mandates that AT be considered when a team creates an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Although this is an ideal time to introduce and begin AT use, practitioners use little AT with this population. Rural states have unique challenges to AT use. Through interviews, practitioners in West Virginia shared their experiences with AT use with this young population. Although there are barriers, one practitioner summed up the consensus of the group. “I think that excellence of service can and in many cases is being provided in West Virginia despite the fact that it is very rural.”

Service Delivery in Natural Environments

Service Delivery in Natural Environments

Gathering and Giving Information With Families

The exchange of information between family members and service providers is a central feature of early intervention services and is integral to the development of an individual family service plan. Early intervention professionals pressured by timelines and documentation requirements either may resort to a directive style of communication that is not matched to the interaction or learning style of the family members or may ask general interview questions that do not provide sufficient information for effective intervention planning. Neither approach offers the family members a clear depiction of their role on the team. A framework and 5 strategies that support a reciprocal process for providing and receiving information while promoting family members' understanding of intervention in their everyday routines and activities are described. These strategies, developed and tested in the field within 5 federally funded research, demonstration, and outreach training projects, offer tools for service providers to gather and give information cognizant of different adult learning preferences.

Maltreated Infants

National estimates of characteristics of maltreated infants and report of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) 54 months later are presented. The study was based on 1,196 infants from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Measures of neurodevelopment, language, and cognition were collected at baseline. In addition, measures of child behavior and social functioning were collected 54 months later. Caregiver mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, home environment, and aspects of maltreatment were examined. Nearly one third were reported to have an IFSP. Descriptors of maltreatment were associated with having an IFSP. Approximately 54 months later, 20% were reported to have an IEP. IEP was not related to maltreatment but was related to being male or having a caregiver with cognitive impairment. Having a caregiver with mental illness reduced the likelihood of having an IEP. Findings highlight the need to reconsider criterion for Part C referral.

Included but isolated: early intervention programmes provision for children and families with chronic respiratory support needs

To measure enrollment of children with mechanical respiratory support needs within the Massachusetts early intervention programmes (EIP) and describe challenges in execution of individual family service plans (IFSPs). Mixed methods provided a complementary assessment. Quantitative data were collected in 2005 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts EIP administrative database as part of a cross-sectional state census. Qualitative data were retrieved from EIP regional coordinators in a key informant focus group. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative survey data. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and a qualitative, thematic analysis was undertaken. Four hundred and eighty children requiring mechanical respiratory support at the time of EIP enrollment were identified between 1 July 1997 and 1 January 2005. Focus group analysis revealed themes including: (1) barriers to community transition; (2) community expertise and training; (3) interface with medical providers; and (4) the role of web-based resources. Isolation of families emerged as a recurrent and resounding concept, relating to all of the themes. Findings support the assumption that implementation of IFSPs for the cohort of children with chronic mechanical respiratory support needs in EIPs is challenging. Barriers reflect inconsistent care coordination and practical encumbrances, contributing to the physical and social isolation of these children and their families.

Developmental Needs and Individualized Family Service Plans Among Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System

This study examines levels of developmental need in young children investigated by child protective services, estimates early intervention service use, and examines need and service use variations during the 5-6 years after investigation on the basis of maltreatment substantiation status. Data were from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, the first nationally representative study of children investigated for maltreatment. The sample comprised 1,845 children aged 0 to 36 months at baseline. Logistic regression with covariate adjustment was used to examine the relationship between having an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP; a proxy and marker of early intervention services through Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act) and substantiation status. A high prevalence of developmental problems was found among children with substantiated cases and children with unsubstantiated cases. Few children with developmental needs had an IFSP. Substantiation status and level of child welfare system involvement were significantly associated with having an IFSP.

Modeling the Impact of Formal and Informal Supports for Young Children With Disabilities and Their Families

The purpose of this work was to examine factors related to perceived impact of early intervention on children with disabilities and their families. A nationally representative sample of approximately 2100 parents completed a 40-minute telephone interview near their child's third birthday. Structural equation modeling examined the relationships between 3 support variables (quality of child services, quality of family services, and family/community support) and 2 outcomes at 36 months (impact on child and impact on family) and determined whether these relationships were mediated by 2 perceptual variables (optimism and confidence in parenting) or moderated by 5 demographic variables (poverty, maternal education, ethnicity, age of initial Individual Family Service Plan, and health at 36 months). Perceived impact of early intervention on both child and family were significantly related to each other. The quality of child services was related to impact on the child but not on the family. The quality of family services was related to both child and family impact. Informal support was not related to perceived impact on children or families but was strongly related to confidence in parenting and optimism. Neither optimism nor confidence in parenting mediated the relationships between services or supports and perceived impact. Minority families and families of children with poor health reported lower quality of services, but these characteristics did not moderate the relationships between services and perceived impact on the child. However, both poverty status and minority status were associated with perceptions of impact on the family. Findings reinforce the role of high-quality services in maximizing perceived impact. They also highlight the important role of informal support in promoting optimism and confidence in parenting. Poverty status, minority status, and poor health of the child are salient factors in predicting lower perceived quality of and benefit from services.

A Tablet-PC Application for the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)

Approximately 2% of children from birth through 2 years of age were identified as having disabilities in 2000. To provide effective intervention services to each child is important. Children with disabilities from birth to 3 years of age who receive early intervention services have an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). In some community early intervention programs, IFSP data are collected and stored in paper-based format, making it difficult to retrieve information in an efficient manner. Information technology strategies could address these problems, thus enhancing the efficiency of the information management. This paper discusses a user requirement analysis, design and development of a Tablet-PC computer application for collecting IFSP data for young children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An early prototype for the Tablet-PC computer application for the IFSP was successfully developed and a preliminarily evaluation was conducted at two early intervention programs.

Early childhood education: an international encyclopedia

Volume I :Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Guide to Related Topics Abecedarian Program Academics Accreditation of Early Childhood Programs Act for Better Child Care (ABC) Action Research Addams, Jane (1860-1935) Adoption Advocacy and Leadership in Early Childhood Education Almy, Millie (1915-2001) American Associate Degree Early Childhood Educators (ACCESS) Ashton-Warner, Sylvia (1908-1984) Assessment in Early Childhood Assessment, Visual Art Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) Association for Constructivist Teaching (ACT) Attachment Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Autism Bandura, Albert (1925- ) Bank Street Behaviorism Behavior Management and Guidance Biculturalism Bilingual Education Binet, Alfred (1857-1911) Black Caucus (NAEYC) Blow, Susan Elizabeth (1843-1916) Bowlby, John (1907-1990) Brain Development Bronfenbrenner, Urie (1917-2005) Bruner, Jerome (1915- ) Bullying Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW) Cerebral Palsy (CP) Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse and Neglect, Prevention of Child Art Child Care Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Child Care and Early Education Research Connections Child Care Subsidies and Tax Provisions Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) Childrens Defense Fund (CDF) Childrens Media Childrens Museums Child Study Movement Classroom Discourse Classroom Environments Cognitive Development Comenius, John Amos (1592-1670) Computer and Video Game Play in Early Childhood Constructionism Constructivism Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (1989) Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) The Creative Curriculum for Preschool Culture Curriculum Curriculum, Emotional Development Curriculum, Mathematics Curriculum, Music Curriculum, Physical Development Curriculum, Science Curriculum, Social Studies Curriculum, Visual Art Day Nurseries Deaf Children Development, Emotional Development, Language Development, Moral Development, Psychosocial Theory of Development, Social Developmental Delay Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood, A Taxonomy of Developmental-Interaction Approach Developmentally Appropriate Practice(s) (DAP) Developmental Systems Theories Dewey, John (1859-1952) Direct Instruction Model Disabilities, Young Children with Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Documentation Domestic Violence Down Syndrome Volume II :Early Care and Education Programs, Administration of Early Child Development and Care Early Childhood Education Journal (ECEJ) Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales (ERS) Early Childhood Music Education Commission (ECME) Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP) Early Childhood Research Quarterly (ECRQ) Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Early Head Start Early Intervention Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development Ecology of Human Development Education 3-13 Eliot, Abigail Adams (1892-1992) Emergent Curriculum Environmental Assessments in Early Childhood Education Erikson, Erik H. (1902-1994) European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ) Even Start Exchange Families Family Literacy Family Systems Theory (FST) Fathers Feminism in Early Childhood Education Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Frank, Lawrence Kelso (1890-1968) Freud, Anna (1895-1982) Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939) Froebel, Friedrich (1782-1852) Gay or Lesbian Parents, Children with Gender and Gender Stereotyping in Early Childhood Education Gesell, Arnold (1880-1961) Gifted and Talented Children in the United States Good Start, Grow Smart Gordon, Ira J. (1923-1978) Grade Retention Grouping Hailmann, Eudora Lucas (18351904) Hailmann, William Nicholas (1836-1920) Hall, G(ranville) Stanley (1844-1924) Hawkins, David (1913-2002) and Hawkins, Frances Pockman (1913- ) Head Start High/Scope High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Hill, Patty Smith (1868-1946) History of U.S. Early Childhood Care and Education Hunt, Joseph McVicker (1906-1991) Hymes, James L., Jr. (1913-1998) IEA Preprimary Project Immigration Incarcerated Parents, Children of Inclusion Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Infant Care Intelligence Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Intelligence Testing Interagency Education Research Initiative (IERI) International Journal of Early Childhood (IJEC) International Journal of Early Years Education International Journal of Special Education International Kindergarten Union (IKU) International Reading Association (IRA) Isaacs, Susan (1885-1948) Journal of Early Childhood Research Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education (JECTE) Journal of Early Inte

Nature that Won't Nurture: How Ideology Can Thwart Early Intervention for Young Children with Vision Loss and the Response That's Needed

Imagine this scenario: A husband and wife, both blind, have twin daughters who are also visually impaired. While the girls were still toddlers, the parents decided to build on their own care and love for children and their own experiences with appropriate learning environments by founding a small community-based early childhood program for very young children with vision loss. The parents first got the idea to open such a program when a few other parents with kids who are blind asked if they could see how the twins played, the kinds of games or exercises that the parents did with or to simply let their children spend some time together with the twins. Something magical happens when these precious little girls get to explore the wide world around them on relative terms of equality with friends who are like them, says the mother of the twin gifts. We wanted to share the joy we found in seeing what a difference the right can make for kids with as many families as possible. By the way, this scenario isn't completely hypothetical. In evaluating this program, don't allow yourself to be unnecessarily sidetracked by nagging questions that can be dispensed with right away. Yes, this literally mom-and-pop program does rely on the expertise of professionals who know how to work with very young children with vision loss. Yes, the program meets all appropriate state and local requirements for operating such a center. No, the program doesn't exclude children with vision loss who may also have other disabilities. And, no, although the program tries to be innovative, it doesn't experiment on kids with techniques and approaches that aren't in the mainstream. The center, which has expanded to provide both early intervention and preschool services, receives high praise from every sector of consumer and professional communities both within and outside the field of vision loss. So, it would be safe to assume that everyone loves the program, right? Not on your life. For some time now, the federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), has required early childhood intervention services to be provided in so-called environments. Although the concept of a natural environment has never been adequately defined in regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education, it is generally understood to mean that services must be provided in settings that also include children without disabilities. Yes, early intervention services can be provided in the home, but, generally speaking, services provided to children in center-based programs that are tailored to the needs of children with specific disabilities are not considered to be environments under IDEA. Yes, it is true that the law does make an exception to the overall mandate to provide services in environments. However, to justify a child's receipt of services at a center like the one described earlier, a successful argument must be made that appropriate services cannot be provided satisfactorily elsewhere. The question is, who gets to determine whether the services are appropriate or can be provided satisfactorily? The short, yet somewhat technical answer, is that the Individual Family Service Plan team (the group of parents and professionals and others who get together to set up a plan for the delivery of early intervention services for a child in accordance with IDEA) is supposed to make the determination that services can't be offered satisfactorily in the home or in other environments. However, if these teams meet at all, how frequently do you think they include professionals with training in the needs of blind or visually impaired infants and toddlers? How often do you think parents are fully aware of the range of possible services, let alone the places at which they are offered, that meet their child's needs? And, the most salient question of all, Why must it be presupposed that an in which children with the same kind of disability play and learn together is somehow inferior to one in which services aren't tailor-made for them? …

Provision of Educationally Related Services for Children and Adolescents With Chronic Diseases and Disabling Conditions

Children and adolescents with chronic diseases and disabling conditions often need educationally related services. As medical home providers, physicians and other health care professionals can assist children, adolescents, and their families with the complex federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and systems associated with these services. Expanded roles for physicians and other health care professionals in individualized family service plan, individualized education plan, and Section 504 plan development and implementation are recommended. Recent updates to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act will also affect these services. Funding for these services by private and nonprivate sources also continue to affect the availability of these educationally related services. The complex range of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and systems for special education and related services for children and adolescents in public schools is beyond the scope of this statement. Readers are referred to the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement "The Pediatrician's Role in Development and Implementation of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and/or an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)" for additional background materials. The focus of this statement is the role that health care professionals have in determining and managing educationally related services in the school setting. This policy statement is a revision of a previous statement, "Provision of Educationally Related Services for Children and Adolescents With Chronic Diseases and Disabling Conditions," published in February 2000 by the Committee on Children With Disabilities (http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;105/2/448).

Mental Retardation: Management and Prognosis

1. Chris Plauche Johnson, MEd, MD* 2. William Otis Walker Jr, MD† 1. *Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Tex 2. †Director, Neurodevelopmental/Birth Defects Clinics, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center. The University of Washington, Seattle, Wash After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. List key components of the special education system that benefit children who have mental retardation (MR). 2. Describe associated conditions that commonly occur in children who have MR. 3. Recognize the importance of family supports, including support of siblings, in the management of children who have MR. 4. Discuss the most likely adult outcomes for persons who have various levels of MR. 5. Delineate the factors, in addition to cognitive skills, that help determine long-term outcomes of persons who have MR. 6. Know when it is appropriate to pursue guardianship proceedings for an adult who is mentally retarded. Management of mental retardation (MR) begins with breaking the news to parents of affected children sensitively, compassionately, and culturally appropriately. It is important to emphasize the child’s strengths in addition to describing the delays or deficits. It also is important to be realistic without taking away hope. If the child is younger than 6 years of age at the time of diagnosis, it may be more appropriate to use the term “global developmental delay” unless the delays are due to a recognizable syndrome known to be associated with MR. When the child enters elementary school and standardized testing provides more reliable and predictive results of adult cognitive impairment, the diagnosis may be revised to “mental retardation.” Parents should be informed that the child will continue to progress, albeit more slowly, than his or her peers. Families need additional patience and persistence when raising a child who has MR. Unlike typically developing children, who seem to learn skills simply by modeling their parents, siblings, and peers, children who have MR may need specific instruction to master a skill. If the global developmental delay or MR is due to a known syndrome, appropriate genetic counseling and up-to-date literature should be …

'You Don't Know Me Like That': Patterns of Disconnect Between Adolescent Mothers of Children With Disabilities and Their Early Interventionists

Interest in the concept of collaboration in early intervention has focused primarily on collaboration among professionals or between professionals and families. Few studies have examined patterns of collaboration between early interventionists and families headed by adolescent mothers. This study examined the perspectives and experiences of 6 adolescent mothers and their service providers. Interviews, observations of interactions between service providers and adolescent mothers, and documents such as the Individualized Family Service Plan were analyzed to identify factors that facilitated or hindered effective collaboration. Results are interpreted with respect to a cultural variant perspective and are discussed in terms of their implications for building relationships and providing intervention.

Least Restrictive and Natural Environments for Young Children With Disabilities

Providing appropriate programs for young children with disabilities is a priority of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), recently reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. The IDEIA requires that programs be provided in natural or least restrictive environments, and issues concerning this area have been the focus of recent litigation. In this article, the author explores the issues surrounding this litigation and offers recommendations for developing Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for young children with disabilities. An analysis of administrative and judicial decisions revealed four themes: placement decisions were based on the potential for academic and nonacademic benefits, placement decisions were based on readiness for inclusion, placement decisions were based on instructional approaches, and placement decisions must be based on the considerations of a full continuum of options. Guidelines for promoting inclusive placement decisions include expanding professional development, improving the “readiness” of inclusive placements, and coordinating the exploration of natural and inclusive environments.