Introduction

Having collected a great deal of information about your child and family, it’s now possible for the team (including you as parents) to sit down and write anindividualized plan of action for your child and family. This plan is called the Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP. It is a very important document, and you, as parents, are important members of the team that develops it. Each state has specific guidelines for the IFSP. Your service coordinator can explain what the IFSP guidelines are in your state.

Guiding principles

The IFSP is a written document that, among other things, outlines the early intervention services that your child and family will receive. One guiding principal of the IFSP is that the family is a child’s greatest resource, that a young child’s needs are closely tied to the needs of his or her family. The best way to support children and meet their needs is to support and build upon the individual strengths of their family. So, the IFSP is a whole family plan with the parents as major contributors in its development. Involvement of other team members will depend on what the child needs. These other team members could come from several agencies and may include medical people, therapists, child development specialists, social workers, and others.

What Info is Included in an IFSP?

Your child’s IFSP must include the following:

Your child’s present physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and adaptive development levels and needs
Family information (with your agreement), including the resources, priorities, and concerns of you, as parents, and other family members closely involved with the child
The major results or outcomes expected to be achieved for your child and family
The specific services your child will be receiving
Where in the natural environment (e.g., home, community) the services will be provided (if the services will not be provided in the natural environment, the IFSP must include a statement justifying why not)
When and where your son or daughter will receive services
The number of days or sessions he or she will receive each service and how long each session will last
Who will pay for the services
The name of the service coordinator overseeing the implementation of the IFSP

The steps to be taken to support your child’s transition out of early intervention and into another program when the time comes.

The IFSP may also identify services your family may be interested in, such as financial information or information about raising a child with a disability.

Informed Parental Consent

The IFSP must be fully explained to you, the parents, and your suggestions must be considered. You must give written consent for each service to be provided. If you do not give your consent in writing, your child will not receive that service.

Reviewing and Updating the IFSP

The IFSP is reviewed every six months and is updated at least once a year. This takes into account that children can learn, grow, and change quickly in just a short period of time.

Timeframes for All This

When the early intervention system receives a referral about a child with a suspected disability or developmental delay, a time clock starts running. Within 45 days, the early intervention system must complete the critical steps discussed thus far:

screening (if used in the state),
initial evaluation of the child,
initial assessments of the child and family, and
writing the IFSP (if the child has been found eligible).

That’s a tall order, but important, given how quickly children grow and change. When a baby or toddler has developmental issues, they need to be addressed as soon as possible. So—45 days, that’s the timeframe from referral to completion of the IFSP for an eligible child.

Who Pays for the Services?

Whether or not you, as parents, will have to pay for any services for your child depends on the policies of your state. Check with your service coordinator. Your state’s system of payments must be available in writing and given to you, so there are no surprises or unexpected bills later.

What’s Free to Families

Under Part C of IDEA, the following services must be provided at no cost to families:

Child Find services;
evaluations and assessments;
the development and review of the IFSP; and
service coordination.

When Services are Not Free

Depending on your state’s policies, you may have to pay for certain other services. You may be charged a “sliding-scale” fee, meaning the fees are based on what you earn. Some services may be covered by your health insurance, by Medicaid, or by Indian Health Services. The Part C system may ask for your permission to access your public or private insurance in order to pay for the early intervention services your child receives.

In most cases, the early intervention system may not use your health care insurance (private or public) without your express, written consent. If you do not give such consent, the system may not limit or deny you or your child services.

Every effort is made to provide services to all infants and toddlers who need help, regardless of family income. Services cannot be denied to a child just because his or her family is not able to pay for them.

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Part 3- Writing the IFSP