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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEI-108 Planning for Intervention1 FRANKLIN/FULTON COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH/INTELLECTUAL & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES/EARLY INTERVENTION 425 Franklin Farm Lane Chambersburg, PA 17202 (717) 264-5387 MH/IDD/EI PROCEDURE STATEMENT PROCEDURE SUBJECT: Planning for Intervention PROCEDURE TOPICS: IFSP Development Transferring in or out of state Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBSP) Restraints PROCEDURE NUMBER: EI-108 Effective Date: April 11, 2012 Date Revised: June 20, 2018 References: - IDEA 34 CFR §303.14, §303.340-345, §300.112, §300.320-324 - Title 55 PA Code §4226.71 - Title 22 PA Code §14.154 - Announcement: ELS/EI-06 #04 Natural Environments - Announcement: EI-13 #01 Transition of Toddlers to Preschool or Other Community Services - Announcement: EI-13 #07 Positive Behavior Support POLICY: Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention Program ensures that the Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP) meeting must include the child’s parent(s), other family members or advocates as requested by the parents, the service coordinator, a person(s) directly involved in conducting the evaluations and assessments and, as appropriate, persons who are, or will be, providing services to the child or family. If the person who conducted the evaluation and assessment is unable to attend the meeting; arrangements must be made for the person’s involvement through other means, i.e. conference call, through a representative, or through records. The IFSP Meeting Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention Program ensures that the process for accessibility and convenience of meetings for the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) be conducted in settings and scheduled at times that are convenient for families. 2 Meeting notification letters should be sent five (5) days prior to the IFSP meeting. The meeting must be conducted in the native language of the family or mode of communication used by the family. The family and team members will be notified in writing of each IFSP team meeting. The initial IFSP shall be written within 45 days for a child who meets eligibility criteria following the child’s referral to early intervention. This IFSP:  Is based on the Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation  Is developed prior to funding source decisions being made Services shall begin no later than 14 calendar days from the date of the IFSP completion, unless a later date is recommended by the team, including the family, based on the needs of the infant or toddler with a disability, or if requested by the family. In addition, the IFSP Review, scheduled by the IFSP team during the development of the initial IFSP, will be held within six (6) months of the date of the initial IFSP, and every six (6) months thereafter. Periodic review may be carried out through a meeting or any other means acceptable to the parents and other participants. Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention Program ensures that all required components are addressed in the IFSP/IEP, including special considerations; 1. Child’s present status in ALL developmental areas: cognitive, communication, physical (including motor, vision, hearing and health), social or emotional, and adaptive development. The IFSP must document the results of the universal newborn hearing screening or other current hearing test results. 2. Results of the Family Assessment (FA) including the family’s community resources, priorities and concerns. Updated FA information must be documented at each review meeting. 3. Other services, such as medical services or services that the child may need which are not required Early Intervention services. Service Coordinators will outline the steps that have or will be taken to secure those services through public or private resources. (This does not apply to routine medical services such as immunizations and well-baby checks.) 4. Outcomes are statements of the major outcomes expected to be achieved as a result of Early Intervention supports and services. These outcomes must reflect the priorities and concerns of the family, focusing on the everyday routines and activities of the child and family. 5. Early Intervention supports and services are a statement of specific Early Intervention services necessary to meet the unique needs of the infant/toddler and family. 6. Natural Environments are defined as a statement in which Early Intervention services shall be provided as determined by the team and documented on the IFSP. Early Intervention services must be delivered in settings that are consistent with the naturally occurring events and opportunities which are part of the child’s home routines, family, and community activities. If the IFSP team determines that any service(s) must occur in a segregated setting (clinic, office, a center where only children with special needs attend), a justification of the service location must be listed on the child’s IFSP. 7. Dates and Duration of Services include the projected dates for initiation of services as soon as possible after the IFSP meeting and the anticipated duration of those services. The date that each service started, even if it did not meet the 14 day deadline must be noted. 3 8. Transition at age three (3) includes a statement about the steps to be taken to ensure a smooth transition of the child, upon reaching age three (3), to Preschool Early Intervention or other appropriate services. See Transition section for further requirements. 9. Exit Criteria includes documentation of data that support that a child is no longer eligible for Early Intervention services. 10. Service Coordinator is the title for the person who will be responsible for the implementation of the IFSP and coordination with other agencies and persons. 11. Special Considerations includes information the team must consider before developing the IFSP/ IEP:  Vision impairment  Hearing impairment  Behaviors that impede the child’s learning or that of others  Limited English proficiency  Communication needs  Assistive technology devices and/or services  Transition due to child or family event  Transition due to child’s age If any of the above criteria affect the child currently, the special considerations must be noted in the appropriate section of the IFSP. How these special considerations will be addressed should be identified and embedded in the IFSP. Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention program collaborates with families who are using assistive technology devices and services. These items or equipment are used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of children with developmental delays or disabilities. These are services that directly assist children with developmental delays/disabilities in the selection, acquisition or use of an assistive technology device. The IFSP will be created through a team approach so that the family can choose their priorities for their child’s development and participation in daily routines with feedback and support from Early Intervention professionals. The family’s description of their interests, daily routines, resources, strengths, concerns, areas of need, and priorities for their child’s development and participation in family routines are all part of the IFSP. Periodic reviews of IFSP/IEPs are held as appropriate and within timelines that will review the child’s IFSP on a quarterly basis (three-, six-, nine- month, and annual reviews). The SC will contact the family and service providers to schedule these meetings in settings and times convenient to the family that also meet programmatic timelines. Transferring in and out of state Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention program has procedures for children who move from one (1) Early Intervention program to another and children who move to PA from another state’s Early Intervention program. A. Transfers - Applicable to children moving from one (1) Early Intervention program to another and children who move to PA from another state’s Early Intervention program. 4 1. When a referral is received, the Program Specialist will then transfer the record into the County Joinder and then assign the referral. 2. The Service Coordination Supervisor will assign the infant/toddler to a Service Coordinator who will meet with the family to review the Evaluation Report and IFSP from the previous county. Services will be discussed and priorities confirmed with the family. 3. If the child’s record was closed but is referred within five (5) months of an MDE determining the child eligible for services, the Service Coordinator will schedule a meeting with the family to discuss and confirm their priorities and begin services. 4. If the child’s record was closed and is referred six (6) or more months after the last MDE determining eligibility, the child will be re-evaluated to determine eligibility. Transfers in from another state will be treated as a new referral, a Service Coordinator will be assigned and the child will go through the initial evaluation process to determine eligibility. B. Transferring children out of the program to another county within PA: 1. When a child is moving from Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention to another county within PA, the Service Coordinator will assist the family with making the referral to their new county’s Infant/Toddler program. 2. The Service Coordinator will obtain a release of information for the new county and will, with parent permission, make a referral to the new county. 3. The Service Coordinator should check the Special Considerations box ‘yes’ and note that it is anticipated that the infant/toddler or preschooler will be transitioning from the Early Intervention program because of a transition in the life of the family and child, and a transition plan should be written with the family. 4. The Service Coordination Supervisor will verify that the infant/toddler is ready for transfer and the Programs Specialist will transfer the child’s record to the new county in Pelican. The Programs Specialist will then notify the new county that the transfer is complete. C. Transferring to an Early Intervention program in another state: 1. The Service Coordinator should check the Special Considerations box ‘yes’ noting that it is anticipated that the infant/toddler or preschooler will be transitioning from the Early Intervention program because of a transition in the life of the family and child, and a transition plan should be written with the family. 2. When a child is moving from the Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention Program to another state, the Service Coordinator will assist the family with obtaining contact information for the Early Intervention program in the family’s new community. 3. The Service Coordinator will provide the family with a copy of the most recent Evaluation Report and Individualized Family Service Plan. Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention program shall include a statement of the infant/toddler’s present level of functioning based on the information from the infant/toddler’s evaluation and assessment as well as measurable results and outcomes on the IFSP that address pre-literacy and 5 language skills as developmentally appropriate for the infant aligned with PA Learning Standards. Positive Behavior Support Plan Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention program has positive behavior support procedures that include the following strategies for positive social-emotional development, positive behavior supports, and prevention of challenging behaviors: The Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) shall provide guidance to the team on providing positive behavior support to as well as procedures to be used when it is necessary to develop an individual behavior support plan for a child. The policy shall include the full continuum of positive behavior supports, including procedures for promotion of social-emotional development, positive behavior strategies, and prevention of challenging behavior through positive environments, supports and teaching strategies, and intervention strategies that will be utilized when other supports do not adequately address challenging behaviors. The positive behavior supports shall be developmentally appropriate for the age of the child. The Franklin/Fulton Early Intervention Program shall make every effort to ensure the children’s environment minimizes challenging behaviors and supports the development of social-emotional skills. The IFSP team will use positive consequences for using new skills versus consequences for challenging behaviors. Positive, rather than negative, measures must form the basis of behavior support programs to ensure that all eligible young children shall be free from demeaning treatment, the use of aversive techniques and the unreasonable use of restraints. Behavior support programs must include research based practices and techniques to develop and maintain skills that will enhance a young child’s opportunity for learning and self-fulfillment. Behavior support programs and plans must be based on a functional assessment of behavior and utilize positive behavior techniques. [PA Regulations 14.133(a)] The Intermediate Units located in Franklin/Fulton County, who provide preschool programs, have procedures for children transitioning to school age programs with behavior support plans. The Preschool Early Intervention Programs shall address challenging behaviors of young children using a positive and preventative approach, including maintaining a positive environment within the classroom, using positive strategies to teach expected behavior, teaching socially and developmentally appropriate skills, and developing positive behavior support plans for children who require more intensive and individualized support. Prevention should always be the first approach. Restraints Chapter 14.133(b) defines restraints as the application of physical force, with or without the use of any device for the purpose of restraining the free movement of a student’s or eligible young child’s body. The term does not include briefly holding, without force, a student or eligible young child to calm or comfort them, guiding a child to an appropriate activity, or holding a child’s hand to safely escort him form one (1) area to another. The term does not include hand- over-hand assistance with feeding or task completion and techniques prescribed by a qualified medical professional for reasons of safety or for therapeutic or medical treatment, as agreed to by eligible young child’s parents and specified in the IFSP. 6 Infant/Toddler Early Intervention providers shall use positive, rather than negative, measures for the basis of behavior support programs to ensure that eligible young children shall be free from demeaning treatment, the use of adverse techniques, the use of seclusion, and the use of restraints. All Early Intervention staff and providers will review the information included in this policy and procedure regarding Planning for Intervention annually. All policy and procedure statements will be reviewed annually or sooner when changes or updates are released. Trainings will occur for all staff including administrative, service coordination and staff as needed. Any change or update to any policy or procedure statement will be sent immediately upon receipt to the provider agencies and all changes are reviewed at the next scheduled Early Intervention provider meetings for further review and discussion.