Outline of Presentation

1. Welcome to Early Intervention:An Overview of the NJ Early Intervention System for Families and Caregivers

2. Outline of Presentation • Who we are? • Brief History • Key Partners and Their Roles • How Does Early Intervention Support Your Child & Family? • What are the Goals of Early Intervention? • What Are Natural Environments? • Individualized Family Service Plan • Procedural Safeguards • Transition Beyond Early Intervention Services

3. I. Who we are?

4. We are The Family Support Teamfrom your Regional Early Intervention Collaborative (REIC)Helpful Hands, theNortheast Regional Early Intervention Collaborative, Inc.

5. REICFamily Support Team Desiree Suter – Director of Family Support Lisa Weinstein – Family Support Coordinator Joy Hammerman – Family Support Coordinator Helpful Hands, NREIC 65 Willowbrook Boulevard, 2nd Floor Wayne, New Jersey 07470 (973) 256-8484 www.NREIC.org Serving: Bergen, Hudson and Passaic Counties

6. Family Support Team This team consists of parents or relatives of children with special needs. We can: • Be a valuable resource to families • Offer general information & support on issues you may have with the Early Intervention System or services • Listen and answer questions • Provide information to community agencies • Host workshops on topics of interest to families Please visit our website for a current calendar of events

7. Helpful Hands, Inc.Northeast Regional Early Intervention CollaborativeBoard of TrusteesExecutive Director: Patti CicconeDirector of Family Support:Desiree SuterTraining & Technical Assistance Coordinator:Diane KlemmRegional Family Support Coordinators:Lisa Weinstein & Joy HammermanOffice Manager:Laura LozanoData Manager:Jean PagnilloService Coordinators:Tara Crawley & Marilyn Nussbaum

8. The BRIEF HISTORY • Brief History

9. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) • 1975 marked the beginning of Federal legislation guaranteeing a Free and Appropriate Public Education for school age children with disabilities. • 1986 created financial incentives for states to ensure early intervention and preschool services for children birth to 5.

10. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) • Early Intervention (Part C) is voluntary for states to provide a system of early intervention services & supports for children ages birth to 3 years, with developmental delays or disabilities & their families • Your local school district in NJ (Part B) guarantees Free & Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment for children with disabilities ages 3-21 • You can view a copy of the law and regulations at www.ideapractices.org

11. TEST IDEA guarantees the following entitlements at no cost to families: • Child Find/Referral • Service Coordination services • Comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation/ assessment of child. • Development and ongoing reviews of Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) • Procedural safeguards for families • Federal Law allows states to charge families based on an ability to pay for IFSP services other than those mentioned above.

12. TEST NEW JERSEY’S EI SYSTEM NEW JERSEY DEPARMENT OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES NJ STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL (SICC) ADVISORY SOUTHERN NJ REIC FAMILY LINK REIC MID-JERSEY CARES REIC HELPFUL HANDS NORTHEAST REIC COUNTY BASED SPECIAL CHILD HEALTH SERVICES (SCHS) CASE MANAGEMENT CHILDREN 0-21 YEARS SERVICE COORDINATION CHILDREN 0-3 YEARS EARLY INTERVENTION PROVIDER AGENCIES

13. III. Key Partners and Their Roles

14. What is Service Coordination?

15. Service Coordination • Every family is assigned a service coordinator who works at Special Child Health Services. • Your Service Coordinator works with your family to: • Complete an initial intake • Coordinate your child’s evaluation • Explain and collect information needed to determine family cost share • Help your family develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) to address the child’s & family’s needs • Coordinate implementation of services • Reviewand update the IFSP • Provide information about resources available in the community to support your child & family • Complete Transition planning to community programs, including preschool

16. Who are Early Intervention Program (EIP) Agencies?

17. Provider Agencies • Letter of Agreements with DHSS • Ensure Quality of Services • Supervision of Practitioners(PT,OT,ST, DI, etc.) • There are two types of EIP Provider Agencies: - Comprehensive (provides full array of services) - Vendors (provides specific services if services are unavailable through comprehensive) • Communicates with Service Coordination for Provision of Services

18. Early Intervention Practitioners Early intervention practitioners: • Work with your child and family to provide developmental intervention. • Represent a variety of disciplines such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech & language therapy, special education teachers, social workers, and nurses. • Are trained in working with young children and their families. • Continually enhance their skills and knowledge through ongoing professional development opportunities.

19. Family Participation • You are an equal and valuable member of the team. - provide information, ask questions, actively participate in sessions, etc. • Your participation is very valuable to the team. • Families and early intervention practitioners work together as partners. • Supports and services are based on each child’s needs and their family’s concerns, priorities and resources.

20. All of us are better than one of us…. • When working with infants, toddlers, and their families, no single individual, discipline or agency can meet the needs of each child. • Together, with you, your family, early intervention providers, service coordinators and other community agencies, we can work as a team to meet your children’s needs and support your child’s development.

21. IV. How Does Early Intervention Support Your Child and Family?

22. Recognizes that your family is the most important influence in your child’s life.Respects and enhances your ability to support your child’s learning & development.Provides supports & services within everyday family routines & activities.Helps families learn more about using community resources, services and connecting to the community. Early Intervention…

23. Helps families build their knowledge and skills to aid in the development of their child with special needs.Offers families opportunities to meet, support one another, discuss problems, and share information and resources.Helps families with the practical and emotional challenges that may come with having children with special needs. Early Intervention… Child Development Resource: A Guide to Early Intervention

24. V. What are the Goals of Early Intervention?

25. To increase the capacity of families to meet the developmental and health related needs of infants and toddlers birth to 3 years who have disabilities or delays in development.To provide quality early supports and services to families to help their children.To support families as their children transition from early intervention into other community based programs-including school systems, childcare, playgroups, etc. The Goals of EI are:

26. VI. What Are Natural Environments?

27. Natural Environments Natural Environments are defined in the Federal law as settings that are natural for young children who have no disabilities. Natural Environments are places in the home and community where all children and families live, work, worship and play.

28. Learning Opportunities We know that family and community experiences and events provide children with learning opportunities every day. Learning opportunities for your child happen during your family’s typical activities and routines. These learning opportunities are chances to support and encourage your child’s development and real world experiences.

29. Why do we work in Natural Environments?TEST

30. TESTYoung children learn skills most effectively when practiced within typical daily routines where they will need to use their skillsEI gives ideas to help families take advantage of learning opportunities that occur during daily activities & family routinesEveryday routines, activities, & interactions that family members already provide offer children rich learning & development opportunities Research and Experience shows… Child Development Resources: a guide to early intervention

31. Natural Learning Environments Playing in natural learning environments will address your child's development in the following areas: • Gross motor skills – crawling, walking, jumping • Fine motor skills – using hands to play or eat • Communication – speech & language • Sensory – vision & hearing • Cognitive – thinking & learning • Social or Emotional – interaction with others & the environment • Adaptive – self-help skills (ex. eating, dressing)

32. Examples of Natural Learning Environments • Riding in shopping cart, car, bus & stroller • Water play in the bath-tub, pool & ocean • Story time at the library • Restaurants, the mall, the doctor’s office • Exploring nature • Places of worship • Childcare settings • Listening to music & dancing • Greeting people playing with siblings • Playing peek a boo, rolling balls, naming colors & objects • The playground, swings & slide • Playing with siblings

33. A Note About Siblings • Your child’s relationship with his/ her siblings • is another very important relationship and often the longest in their lifetime. • The role of early intervention is to support your family. Siblings along with other family members, can also be a part of early intervention activities. • Siblings are also important in the learning process for their sibling with special needs. • There are several resources available for your family such as http://www.thearc.org/siblingsupport

34. The Whole Child Model Community Mental Health Agencies Health Support Agencies Significant Others Religious Groups Medical Care Nuclear Family Extended Family Child with Special Needs Child Care System Legal System Family Friends Child’s Friends Bio/Physical Psychological Socio-Cultural Cognitive Self-Help Groups School System Co-Workers Neighbors Resource/Referral Agencies Employment/ Finance Reprinted with permission of author-C. Newman, Community Coordinated Childcare of Union County Ó1994 Media Recreation Transportation

35. VII. Individualized Family Service Plan(IFSP)

36. The IFSP Team Includes • Your Family • Service Coordinator • Members of the Evaluation team (as appropriate) • Early Intervention Practitioner • Anyone else your family would like to participate

37. The IFSP is a written plan of action that you develop with your team that: • Describes your child’s current level of development. • Addresses your child and family’s strengths and concerns. • Identifies your family’s concerns, priorities and resources. • Develops activities and strategies needed to meet your goals. • The IFSP is reviewed at least every 6 months or more often as needed.

38. Working with Your Healthcare Providers Your healthcare provider(s) may have input into the IFSP/ Early Intervention process if you choose. This may occur in person, by phone, or by written information. Sharing information with your primary healthcare provider about your child’s progress in early intervention will ensure that your physician has the information to assist you in your child’s overall growth and development.

39. Outcomes During an IFSP meeting the team will address changes a family wants to see for their child or for their family. These are called Outcomes. Examples of Outcomes: • Christy will play with a few toys on her own. • We will take Miguel to church. • Mikey will get around on his own.

40. Services & Supports After the IFSP team has identified outcomes for the child and family necessary services and supports are determined. Services & Supports can include: • Developmental Intervention • Occupational, physical, and/or speech therapy • Assistive technology devices or services • Family training, social work services & counseling • Vision & hearing services • Nursing & nutrition supports

41. What is Developmental Intervention?

42. Developmental Intervention • Is the comprehensive service that addresses all areas of development; • Is provided by early intervention staff members with varying professionals degrees and backgrounds; • Supports your family by providing information and skills to enhance your child’s development; • Helps to design learning environments and activities to promote your child’s skill development;

43. Discipline Specific Therapy(OT, PT & ST) • All qualified early interventionists, regardless of professional discipline, may provide developmental intervention. • Discipline therapy may be needed to support developmental intervention. • An assessment is required to determine the need for a specific therapy.

44. VIII. Procedural Safeguards

45. Procedural Safeguards There are informal and formal ways of resolving your concerns about your early intervention experiences:Informal - Discussions with the early intervention practitioner/agency, Regional Early Intervention Collaborative, or the Procedural Safeguards office.Formal Mediation - It is voluntary for family participation. Compromise is always the goal. Due process - hearing before a knowledgeable, impartial hearing panel is also available. The panel is comprised of a parent of a child with special needs, an attorney, and a professional with a background in early childhood development.Complaint– Families can also file a request to resolve administrative complaints.

46. Procedural Safeguards • Mediation • Due Process Hearing • Resolution of Complaints • Surrogate Parents • Informed Written Consent • Written Prior Notice • Review of Records • Confidentiality of Records

47. Procedural Safeguards Contact Information: Department of Health & Senior Services Procedural Safeguards Office NJ Early Intervention System P.O. Box 364 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0364 1 877-258-6585 (toll free) www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/eiphome.htm

48. IX. Transition Beyond Early Intervention Services

49. Transition • Your child and family will exit from Early Intervention into new activities in your community and possibly new education services and programs through your local school district. • Your service coordinator will work with you to develop a transition plan. • A child may Transition because: - Your child turns age 3** - Your child has progressed and no longer meets the eligibility criteria for Early Intervention or, - You move within the state or to another state ** Family Support Coordinators conduct detailed workshops on the topic of Transition to Preschool

50. We believe in the inherent strength and resilience of families. Our aim is to empower families & build on your strengths in raising your child with special needs.