	Child and Family Development and Support Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

PA-CFD 13: Early Intervention Services

Early intervention services promote the health and well-being of children who have or are at risk for developmental delays.

Research Note: Under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states provide early intervention services that enhance the development of children under age three who: (1) are experiencing developmental delays, or (2) have been diagnosed with a condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delays. States also have the option of extending services to children at risk for serious developmental problems.

NA The program model is not designed to provide early intervention services.

PA-CFD 13.01

Children receive all specialized services needed to promote their physical, cognitive, emotional, social, communicative, and adaptive development.

Interpretation: Services can include, but are not limited to: medical services, nursing services, visual services, audiological services, speech and language services, orientation and mobility services, psychological services, nutrition services, family therapy, occupational and physical therapy, assistive technology, and special education. When assessment reveals the need for specialized services the agency does not provide, it should refer the family to other qualified professionals.

PA-CFD 13.02

Children receive services that take into account their strengths, challenges, functional status, and social competence, and that facilitate their ability to complete essential, age-appropriate daily tasks.

PA-CFD 13.03

Child and family characteristics, such as age, developmental level, race, culture, ethnicity, and language, are considered when choosing or designing early intervention services.

PA-CFD 13.04

Children receive early intervention services in inclusive settings where they can interact in a positive way with other children to the extent possible.

PA-CFD 13.05

Families are involved in services and provided with information and education about:

developmental delays and disabilities;
the best strategies for lessening the effects of developmental delays and disabilities;
meeting their children’s needs; and
their children’s progress.

Research Note: Literature emphasizes the importance of collaborating with parents and supporting their ability to promote their child’s development, rather than focusing solely on the child.

PA-CFD 13.06

Early intervention services:

are delivered in environments where children and families spend time or would like to spend time;
include family members’ ideas;
use the family’s informal resources, such as toys, household materials, and family members;
take advantage of learning opportunities that occur naturally during activities in which the family participates; and
can be incorporated into everyday routines and activities.

PA-CFD 13.07

Families are linked to needed support services, including, as appropriate:

individual counseling or parent-to-parent support groups; and
financial assistance for specialized services that meet their children’s needs.

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	PURPOSE: Families participating in Child and Family Development and Support Services delivered through strong community partnerships gain new competencies, improve child health and well-being, improve family functioning, and make family-community connections.

RELATED FILES


	FAMILY Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialization, income support, long-term care, and other caregiving are among the functions of family life. The definition of "family" will rest with an individual's indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, fictive kin, or significant others. Organizations that believe family is the central constellation in a child's life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of "family."


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY A condition in which a child has an ongoing, major delay in the achievement of one or more developmental milestones in the areas of language, cognitive, motor, and/or and social skills. A doctor usually diagnoses a developmental delay based on strict guidelines.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY The commercial or custom-designed devices, modifications, accommodation strategies, and/or related technical services that help persons with disabilities increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities.


	ASSESSMENT An evaluation, which utilizes professional expertise and skills in the collection and analysis of data to understand and describe the nature of service needs of an individual, family, or group. Assessment, as in needs assessment, is also used to determine priorities of program planning and service development for the organization as a whole. See also DIAGNOSIS.


	QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL An individual licensed by the state in which the organization operates to perform duties outlined in the regulation requirements. Similar terms include: qualified health practitioner, qualified clinician, and qualified medical practitioner.


	CULTURE The customs, habits, values, skills, technology, beliefs, and religious, social, and political behaviors of a group of people in a specific period of time.


	ETHNICITY An orientation toward and identification with a population group that shares national origin, religion, race, or language.


	PARENTS Parents can include: birth, foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Please see service standards for more specific information about use of this term.


	LINKED The means by which individuals access services that may or may not be provided by the organization itself. These terms are used interchangeably when individuals are linked to services either directly or by referral. See also CONNECTED.