INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY SERVICE PLANS (IFSP)
Let us know about your experience on our site. Use the link below to submit your thoughts.
IFSP: The Process and Plan
Each eligible child has an Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP, which is both a process and a written plan intended to assist families and professionals to meet the developmental needs of a child from birth to age three. When developing an IFSP, the team, which includes the parents, must give careful consideration to the child’s and family’s strengths, needs, and interests.
Service Coordination and Service Coordinators
Service coordination is an early intervention service which must be provided for every child and family referred to Early ACCESS. Service coordination is provided by a service coordinator to assist and enable infants and toddlers with a disability and their family to receive services and rights, including procedural safeguards.
Types of IFSPs
IFSP teams meet to develop different types of IFSPs including, initial, periodic, annual, and interim IFSPs.
IFSP Teams
An IFSP team is a group of individuals who come together to develop, review and revise a child’s IFSP. Each member of an IFSP team, including the parents, has clearly defined roles and responsibilities, as well as special expertise about the child and/or the early intervention services which could benefit the child and family.
Contents of IFSPs
When developing an IFSP, the IFSP team must:
- Identify a child’s present levels of development;
- Establish outcomes, sometimes called goals, for the child;
- Determine how progress towards the outcomes will be monitored; and
- Determine the early intervention services and supports necessary to meet the child’s and family’s unique needs.
The IFSP team will focus on providing services in the child’s natural environment and will make plans for transition out of Early ACCESS when the child turns three years old.
Transition from Early ACCESS
Early ACCESS services are provided until:
- a child’s third birthday
- until the child is no longer eligible; or
- there is no longer a need for early intervention services.
Service coordinators begin discussing the transition from the early contacts with families to support their understanding of early intervention services ending for a child at the age of three.