Advocacy | New Path

If you are in question of your child’s development, or you have been told that your child has a medical condition that can cause developmental delays, their pediatrician can help with establishing Early Intervention services. Each locality in Virginia has a “central point of entry” to the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia. Most pediatricians are aware of Virginia’s Early Intervention system, and have the contact information for your locality, also known as the local Infant & Toddler Connection system. You may also find your local Infant & Toddler Connection to begin the Early Intervention process.

Once the call has been placed to your local Infant & Toddler Connection system, they will work with you to arrange for an evaluation of your child to determine eligibility. This is often called an intake evaluation.

Rely on parental intuition and never be afraid to approach your child’s pediatrician with your concerns. Early Intervention services provide your child the best opportunity to reach their full potential and help prepare you to best support them in their development. The earlier you approach your pediatrician with your concerns, the earlier services can begin.

What happens at an intake evaluation and what is eligibility based on?

An intake evaluation consists of at least two evaluators. They are professionals of two different professions or areas of development. During the intake evaluation, you will be asked to provide information about your child’s development and medical history. The evaluators may even ask your child to perform a few age-appropriate tasks, to help determine if they are developing at an equal rate as other same-aged children. If a developmental delay is noted, your child is found eligible for Early Intervention services. At this point, you may be asked to provide either financial or insurance information. However, Early Intervention supports and services are available to all eligible children and their families regardless of the family’s ability to pay. Eligibility is NOT based on financial information.

Can I afford this?

Some services are available at no cost to parents. These services are eligibility determination, assessment, service coordination, IFSP development, and safeguards.

You may be charged for other early intervention services based on your ability to pay as determined using the steps described in the document Facts About Family Cost Share. You received a copy of this document and it was explained to you when you received prior written notice before eligibility determination. You will receive an additional copy and explanation of this document at every annual I IFSP meeting.

Some of the costs of services are supported by federal, state and local funds. Local early intervention service providers also rely upon payment from individual health insurance (with your permission) and Medicaid, as well as fees based on parent income in order to fund services.

Early Intervention services are typically covered by most medical insurance plans, including Medicaid. If your child does not have medical insurance, or the plan’s required patient responsibility portion (co-payments or annual cap) will cause financial hardship on your family, you can request that your financial information be considered to establish a reduced fee for services. This may be offered during the intake evaluation, and can also be requested at any time. If you are not satisfied with the results of the financial screening, you can appeal the decision. Early Intervention supports and services are available to all eligible children and their families, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. If you have some questions about how services for your child might be funded, you should discuss this with your service coordinator.

Additional Insurance Information

We’ve just finished the intake meeting and my child was found eligible. What comes next? What is an Individualized Family Service Plan?

After your child has been found eligible, a team will develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This team is known as the IFSP team. The IFSP will address the needs of your child and family, by developing desired outcomes for your child. The IFSP will list these outcomes, as well as the Early Intervention supports and services needed to meet them, and the duration and frequency of each service. The support and services are designed with the whole family in mind and will be incorporated into your child’s daily routine and environment. This concept is referred to as providing services in the child’s “natural environment”. A natural environment can be your home, a daycare, a play group, even a local restaurant playground. It can be anywhere your child would typically be found learning new skills or spending their time.

Because most of your child’s learning will happen between service provider visits, Early Intervention services are as important for the caregivers as they are for your child. For this reason, you should view Early Intervention services not only as services for your child, but more importantly as empowerment for caregivers to provide a continuation of services until the next visit. This continuation could help your child reach those desired outcomes more quickly.

What is an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)?

The family and professionals work together to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (called an IFSP, for short). This plan will list the outcomes (changes) the family and the rest of the IFSP team would like to see for the child and the early intervention supports and services needed to meet those outcomes.
The IFSP team, which includes the family, will come up with outcomes that are just for this one child, that are important to this family, that focus on helping the child be a part of family and community activities, and that look at the whole child rather than specific developmental skills.

Who is on the IFSP team?

The IFSP team consists of anyone involved in the development and delivery of outcomes for your child. This includes you, as well as other family members or caregivers of your choosing. Some examples of IFSP team members include:

Parents
Grandparents
Other relatives
Day care provider
Service Coordinators
Occupational therapists
Physical therapists
Speech therapists
Educators

What is a Service Coordinator and what role do they play?

A Service Coordinator is assigned to every family referred to a local Infant & Toddler Connection system. They are your guide through the Early Intervention process. They can answer questions, help find information and resources, and coordinate all of your child’s Early Intervention supports and services. This may be their only role, but in some instances they may also provide another service for your child, such as physical therapy.

What does a “transition plan” mean for my child?

From the development of your child’s first IFSP, the team will be considering ways to best support your child as they exit the Early Intervention system. Some children no longer need services when they exit, while others may need a continuation of the support and services they received during their Early Intervention experience. This transition out of Early Intervention is planned from the beginning to end by including transition plan activities on each IFSP. Continuation of services are typically offered through your local public school system’s Early Childhood Special Education program, and can begin when your child is either two or three years old. As long as your child continues to remain eligible for Early Intervention services, you have the option to continue services until your child’s third birthday.

While some families may decide to continue with the natural environment Early Intervention services until their child’s third birthday to allow a child more time to mature or for health reasons, other families may opt to start the public school’s Early Childhood Special Education program when their child is two for socialization or peer-driven development. The decision is yours, as you know what will suit the needs of your child and family best. However, you should be open-minded to any concerns the other members of the IFSP team may have.

Another option for your child may be community services, which will vary between localities. Your child’s Service Coordinator or local Arc chapter may be able to help locate services in your community.

I have a complaint, what are my rights?

If you ever find yourself questioning any aspect of Early Intervention support and services, you should feel comfortable talking with your Service Coordinator. If you are not, or if they are not able to resolve the issue, you can ask to speak with their System Manager. The System Manager is charged with overseeing all operations within a local Infant & Toddler Connection. In most instances, the System Manager is able to resolve the issue. In some rare instances, a complaint may need to be filed with the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia.

A Notice of Child and Family Safeguards in the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia Part C Early Intervention System is provided to every family found eligible for Early Intervention services during the intake visit. It is a detailed document describing your rights as a parent within the Early Intervention system.

Simply put, these safeguards ensure your right to:

Evaluation for your child;
IFSP within 45 calendar days of evaluation
Services as described in IFSP
Evaluation, assessments, IFSP development, service coordination and procedural safeguards at no cost. Other services may have associated fees, though inability to pay will not prevent your child from receiving services
Refuse services, if you choose;
Participate in meetings where decision about your child will be made;
Receive written timely notice before actions are taken affecting services to your child or family (5 days written notice)
Services in your child’s natural environment
Confidentiality
Review and correction of records
Mediation and/or due process procedures
File an administrative complaint

Who can guide me through this?

Although Early Intervention can seem overwhelming, you are not on this journey alone. There are many people that can assist you along the way. While your instinct right now might be to focus on your child, sometimes it helps to reach out to others for assistance. There are many local, state, and national organizations, including The Arc of Virginia that can offer you information, support and friendship.

Some local supports to consider:

Child’s Service Coordinator
Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia
Meetup
Family
Neighbors
Friends

Family Rights

If you ever find yourself questioning any aspect of early intervention supports and services, you should feel comfortable talking with your Service Coordinator. If you are not, or if they are not able to resolve the issue, you can ask to speak with their System Manager. The System Manager is charged with overseeing all operations within a local Infant & Toddler Connection. The staff at The Arc of Virginia is also available to answer questions and discuss concerns with families, please contact us and let us help resolve any issues or answer questions about services.

In some instances, a complaint may need to be filed with the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia.

The following are available to assist with explaining families rights and helping families to understand their role within the early intervention system.

The Notice of Child and Family Rights in the Infant & Toddler Connection of Part C Early Intervention System - Strengthening Partnership

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA is the nation's special education law. The IDEA guides states, schools and public agencies providing services such as early intervention, special education and other services for children with disabilities. The section of IDEA that guides early intervention services is Part C, this is why you sometimes hear services for infants and toddlers called “Part C.”

The Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention Services or VICC advises and assists the lead agency, The Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia. The VICC is made up of early intervention providers, family members and other public agency representatives. The VICC meets quarterly and there is opportunity to make public comment at these meetings.