The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is the result of a dynamic process that begins with the first contact with a child’s family. Because it is based on a partnership between family members and professionals, it is important that staff and parents are flexible during the process to best meet the child’s needs. The IFSP will change and grow during this process to reflect the needs of the family as well as those of the child. Although the legal timelines for the IFSP establish a linear outline for activities, circumstances that affect the child and the family may interrupt the process and alter the schedule.

These circumstances include:

• The health of the child (Medical needs may take precedence over other needs.)
• Family crises
• Diagnostic appointments, which may yield important information about the child that should be included in the Family work schedules that may conflict with the scheduling of IFSP-related activities

Federal and state regulations specify the IFSP process and timelines as follows:

1. Within two working days from the time the infant or toddler is identified by the primary referral source, he or she must be referred to the appropriate public agency.
2. Within 45 calendar days of referral, the agency coordinating services must:
   a.Receive the referral and assign a service coordinator.
   b. Notify the parents of the referral.
   c. Notify the parents of their rights and procedural safeguards
   d. Obtain written parental consent to conduct the initial evaluation and assessment
   e. Conduct the evaluation and assessment activities.
   f. Hold a meeting with the parents in their native language, at a place and time convenient for them, to present evaluation and assessment results, determine eligibility, and develop the initial IFSP
   g. Obtain written parental consent to provide the agreed-upon early intervention services.

3. The public agency that is coordinating services must initiate the agreed-upon possible.

4. Every six months, and when requested, the coordinating agency must:
a. Notify the parents of the intent to review.
b. Conduct the review of the IFSP and the progress of the child.

5. Annually, the agency must take these actions:
a. Notify the parents of the intent to review.
b.Notify the parents of their rights and procedural safeguards.                                                             c.  Conduct a meeting to review the IFSP and the progress of the child.

6. When the child is two years six months old, the agency must:
a. Notify the parents of the approaching transition.
b. Notify the receiving LEA of the transition of the child.
c. Begin to develop a written transition plan as a part of the IFSP.

7. Within 30 days following the notification of the intent to begin transition planning, the agency must determine a date for the transition planning meeting.

8. The agency must complete planning for the transition when the child is two years nine months old, at the latest

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Participants in the IFSP Process

Many people are involved in the development of the IFSP. The following team members must participate in the development of the initial and annual IFSPs:

• The child’s parents, guardians, or surrogate parents
• Other family members, at the parents’ request (if feasible)
• An advocate or person outside the family, at the parents’ request
• The service coordinator
• One or more persons directly involved in conducting the child’s and family’s evaluations and assessments
• Service providers, as appropriate
• An interpreter, if necessary

Each of these participants brings vital information to be addressed in the IFSP, and all are equal team  members. In addition to knowing the child best, family members know the supports within the child’s daily environment and set the priorities that fit into the members’ lives. The service coordinator provides information regarding all aspects of services for the child, and evaluators and service providers bring specific information that is critical to developing a plan to benefit the child.

If the persons conducting the evaluations cannot attend the IFSP meeting in person, they can make other arrangements, as follows:

• Participate in a telephone conference call.
• Send a knowledgeable representative to the meeting.
• Make records available at the meeting.

Components of the IFSP Document and Levels of Development

he IFSP must include information in the following categories:

• Levels of development in cognitive, physical (including vision, hearing and health), communication,  social–emotional, and adaptive areas.
• Family information, including concerns, resources, and priorities.
• IFSP outcomes expected for the child and family (when services for the family are related to meeting the special developmental needs of the child). Outcomes should include the criteria, procedures, and  timelines used to determine the degree of progress made and whether revisions are necessary.
• Types of services: (1) early intervention services, including the frequency, intensity, and method of delivery;  (2) other public services; and (3) non-required services.

• Location of the services provided, including a statement about whether they are provided in the natural environment and justification if they are not provided in such an environment. A natural environment
  for purposes of the IFSP is a setting in which the chronological-age peers of the child—children without
  disabilities—participate, not one in which only children with an IFSP are present.
• Initiation and duration of services.

Levels of Development

Specific information about the child’s present levels of development in all areas must be included on the form. This information is gathered by a team, which includes the family, during the evaluation and assessment of the child. The team must use multiple measures to gather information on these  developmental areas:

• Cognitive development
• Physical development (including vision, hearing, and health status)
• Communication development
• Social–emotional development
• Adaptive development

Developmental levels may be stated in many ways as long as the descriptions use professionally  acceptable, objective criteria and are understandable to all team members. Statements about  developmental levels may be reported as follows:

• Age-specific (one-year level)
• In an age range (e.g., twelve to eighteen months)
• Within normal age range expectations

 

Family information is a record of the concerns, resources, and priorities related to the child’s development that the family voluntarily shares. Concerns may be about the child or about other issues that affect the family. These informal resources may include the extended family, friends, church affiliations, or other supports. Priorities are the areas in which the family would like to see change first and in which the family and service providers should focus their energy.

Family members must understand that giving this information is voluntary.

Examples of documenting consent on various forms are indicated below.

Families from different cultures may react in different ways to questions about themselves. Staff must  consider cultural and individual preferences when asking for information in family interviews. It is important to encourage family members to talk about what is working well and what they enjoy in their relationships with the child. The information may be documented either by paraphrasing the responses or by expressing them in the members’ own words.

IFSP outcomes are statements defining a major change the child or the family is expected to achieve. Outcomes may include anything that team members believe will foster the child’s growth and development
and may incorporate any area of child development or family life. Through assessments and evaluations the team identifies the child’s needs and strengths and develops outcomes based on those needs and  strengths combined with the family’s resources, concerns, and priorities for the child. Outcomes have the following characteristics:

• Have the potential of being measured.
• Are developed by all team members.
• Provide criteria that measure the change expected.
• Identify expected results, procedures, and the time frame for achieving the outcomes.

Outcomes are not services. Services describe what agencies provide to assist families. For example, the statement “Teacher will refer the child to CCS for occupational therapy” should appear under services rather than outcomes.

Criteria, procedures, and timelines refer to the standards, methods, and target dates that will be used to determine progress toward meeting the IFSP outcomes. This information must be documented. Some  forms include space to record these elements for each outcome. Other forms include strategies, steps, or
activities to document the criteria, procedures, and timelines. Although federal regulations do not require the strategies and activities to be noted on the IFSP, the use of a form is acceptable as long as the information is clear regarding the criteria for determining progress and procedures and regarding the target date for evaluating progress.

Criteria are standards by which one can judge whether outcomes have been met, as illustrated in these examples:

• Juan will take three steps.
• Patti will sit unsupported.
• Colin will say ten new words.

Procedures refer to the methods that will be used to evaluate progress toward achieving the outcomes, not the methods that will be used to secure or provide a service. Examples of appropriate procedure statements are as follows:

• Staff observations will be used to measure progress.
• Parent reports will be used to evaluate progress.
• Checklists will be used to measure progress.
• Standardized tests will be administered.

In contrast, the following are examples of inappropriate procedure or outcome statements:

• Contact CCS to obtain physical therapy services.
• Assist the family in scheduling an appointment with the vision specialist.

Timelines refer to the dates when progress toward achieving the outcome will be assessed. For many  outcomes progress will be assessed at the periodic or annual review, although any date appropriate to the outcome may be specified.