IFSP Development

Once a child’s eligibility for early intervention has been established through evaluation and assessment by a local Infants and Toddlers Program in Maryland, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed.
 

IFSP Development focuses on identifying, with families, the IFSP outcomes, criteria, strategies, supports, and services that enhance a child’s participation within meaningful contexts for each family. This is the heart of the natural environment mandate in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act -- to support families to ensure that their very young children participate in meaningful routines and activities, in and out of their home.

IFSP Development draws on the planning discussion with families that guide a child’s initial evaluation and assessment for eligibility for a local Infants and Toddlers Program. Information about a family’s priorities, concerns, and resources, together with the data and observations collected during a child’s evaluation and assessment, builds the foundation for a discussion between family members and early intervention providers about developing an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

The overview below gives a summary of the critical steps in developing an IFSP with a family.

• Revisit a family’s priorities, concerns, and resources.
• Review data collected during a child’s evaluation and assessment.
• Identify functional outcomes with parents.
• Select measurable criteria to define when an outcome has been achieved.
• Describe strategies for achieving each outcome.
• Discuss which formal and informal supports and services can assist families to achieve desired outcomes.
• Once an IFSP is implemented, assess progress towards achieving family and child outcomes as well as overall family satisfaction with their participation in early intervention.

IFSP Implementation

IFSP Implementation focuses on how to support family members in helping their children participate in desired family and community life. A critical outcome for early intervention is to assist families in finding ways to develop and generalize the skills and behaviors of their children to ensure their participation in naturally occurring activities and settings. By observing and honoring each family’s unique culture and child rearing routines, early intervention providers can help children use an emerging skill and/or modify routines and tasks to take part in family life.

By sharing their expertise and collaborating with one another, early intervention providers and family members can:

• facilitate a child’s participation in meaningful family and community activities
• follow a child’s interests and build on the strengths he or she is most likely to demonstrate when interacting with familiar people in familiar routines and environments
• ensure mastery of a child’s emerging skills through practice in multiple activity settings/situations.