Obtaining Early Childhood Special Education for Infants and Toddlers

Early intervention provides services for infants and toddlers who experience developmental delays or have disabilities to learning and developing to the best of their abilities.

H of the Federal Law: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that any child who is age birth to three years and has a devlopmental delay or disability is eligible to receive free and appropriate intervention services. These services may be provided in the child's home, at preschool or in a child care setting.

If you think your child has a developmental delay or disability, you may contact your local school district to have your child evaluated. For programs in Kansas City, Missouri, call 816-418-7754. For Wyandotte County, call the Infant Toddler Program at 913-551-3700.

This testing will be done within 45 days of the time you request the evaluation. The testing will be done by three or more professionals including a speech and language pathologist, a school psychologist, an occupational therapist, audiologist, and a vision screener. Your child must have a 25 percent delay in one or more of the areas listed above to qualify for services. The evaluation team will tell you whether your child qualifies for services.

What Happens if My Child Qualifies for Services?

If your child qualifies for early intervention services, a Family Service Coordinator will be assigned to work with your child and family. The role of the Family Service Coordinator is to assist you in obtaining all the necessary services for your child. A member of the evaluation team, the Family Service Coordinator and you, as the parent, will develop what is called the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).

What is the Individual Fammily Service Plan (IFSP)?

The IFSP is a written plan that lists the changes you want to see your chiled make. It will contain information on how well your child learns, communicates, sees, hears, moves, gets along with others, and how well your child does things on his or her own. The following components must be included in the IFSP:

• The name of your Family Service Coordinator.
• The changes or outcomes you want for your child and family.
• A list of the early intervention services and other services needed to help make these changes (see the following list of 16 early intervention services available)>
• When services will start and end; who will do them; where and how often they will be done.
• How these services will be paid for.
• A transition plan to help you and your child if you will be changing programs or services.

Once the IFSP is completed, you will be asked to give your written permission to begin early intervention services.

Early Intervention Services Available for Infants and Toddlers

Assistive technology: services for the child to help use specialized equipment and devices needed for growing and developing
Audiology: hearing testing and helps to make the best use of a child's hearing
Family services coordinator: assists family in obtaining early intervention services
Family information and counseling: provides information on early intervention
Health services: help a child participate in an early intervention program
Medical services for evaluation: medical testing to see how well a child is growing and developing
Nursing services: nursing care to prevent health problems and promote wellness
Nutrition services: information on good eating habits and prevention of feeding and eating problems
Occupational therapy: services to help the daily self-help skills of a child
Physical therapy: services to help the way a child moves
Psychologoical services: testing and help with the child's behavior and learning; family counseling and education
Social work services: provide parenting education
Special instruction: services to families and children to help the child in the five developmental areas: cognitive, language, physical, social-emotional, and adaptive and slef-help skills
Speech-language pathology: services to help the child's communication
Transportation: help with the cost of travel for a family to use early intervention services
Vision: vision testing and help to make the best use of a child's vision

The information was developed by The Family Conservancy from a variety of professional resources. This is not a standardized measurement tool.