Families are the most significant communication partners for an individual with complex communication needs. Even though family-centered approaches are recommended to support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services for an individual, it is difficult to establish a successful plan that fits each individual's family. A framework…

This training activity was created to support participants' understanding of the criteria needed to develop and write high quality, participation-based Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) outcomes. The term "functional" is often used to describe what outcomes ought to be, yet many providers struggle to define what makes an outcome…

Early childhood professionals: looking for an effective way to ensure coordinated, family-centered services for young children and families? Discover the why and how of the primary service provider (PSP) approach to teaming, the widely used, evidence-based model that more and more states are adopting to strengthen care and services and improve…

Parents play important roles as advocates for their child with a disability. Advocacy is the process of striving to improve the quality of life for someone else. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires parents and professionals to work together to design a service delivery plan for children with disabilities. An…

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…

This brief paper summarizes principles of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C. It lists five ways in which the IFSP differs from the Individualized Education Plan including the centrality of the family. Steps that lead to effective IFSPs are identified. These include:…

Once children have entered into the early intervention system, ongoing developmentally appropriate assessment is crucial. A critical component is monitoring child progress in relation to education and intervention goals or outcomes. For infants and toddlers, whose performance often cannot be documented using traditional assessment and…

This article outlines principles of support services for families of children with disabilities. It then considers characteristics of parents of young children who are deaf/hard of hearing (e.g., gender, hearing status, socioeconomic status, and cultural/linguistic status) and child characteristics (age at diagnosis, hearing level, and additional…

Discussion of the role of play in development of young children with disabilities considers the different forms of play as the child develops, the social nature of play, contexts and play materials, and the value of including play goals and strategies in the individualized family service plan or individual education program developed cooperatively…

Specific suggestions are offered to promote the participation of Asian families of young, special-needs children in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process. Suggestions address: enhancing one's own cultural awareness, overcoming language differences, holding effective family conferences, and developing family outcomes in the IFSP.…

Guidelines are proposed for development of early intervention educational goals and objectives that reflect daily functioning skills. Guidelines are presented as questions to pose when developing individualized education programs (IEPs) and individualized family service plans IFSPs). They cover functionality, generality, instructional context,…

This text is on transdisciplinary team assessment of infants and toddlers at developmental risk and emphasizes both the dynamics (interpersonal strategies) and the mechanics (team assessment strategies) of teamwork. Emphasis is on assessment for the development of Individualized Family Service Plans. Chapter 1 reviews major developmental…

This document presents North Dakota guidelines to help transitions of young children with disabilities. It identifies two critical service delivery transitions for these children: first, when the child enters early childhood special education services (ECSE) and second, when the child exits those services. Following an introduction, there is a…

This brief paper summarizes issues and strategies in early intervention with infants and toddlers who have visual impairments. Characteristics of exemplary early intervention services are identified including collaboration with families and other professionals in the Individualized Family Service Plan process and home visits that promote…

This guide was developed to assist families and service providers in Connecticut with the development of Individualized Family Service Plans for infants and young children with hearing impairments under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It provides general information about hearing loss and deafness, intervention…