5.5.7
IEP/IFSP Meetings
- At least 10% of the children we serve have an IEP/IFSP.
- Some children already have an IFSP/IEP when they are enrolled.
- Others will become eligible during the school year, at which time an IEP/IFSP meeting is held and a plan is developed.
- Services are delivered under IDEA for children over 3 with an IEP, and children under 3 with an IFSP
Referral Process
- There are two scenarios which may lead to the creation of an IFSP/IEP:
- An enrolled child fails the ASQ-3 at the 45-day screener, or a section of the screener
- A Teacher or parent are concerned about a child’s development
- When one of these scenarios occur, the Referral for Observation/Consultation form is completed and sent to the Disabilities Department who will assess the situation and determine if the child should be referred to an external agency for evaluation. External agencies include:
- Early Intervention Agency (Under 3 years/IFSP)
- School district (Over 3 years/IEP)
- The external agency will review the completed Referral for Observation/Consultation form and either perform an evaluation or complete a screener on the child to determine if the child is eligible for services under IDEA, and then schedule an IEP/IFSP meeting, based on the age of the child. An IEP/IFSP meeting is usually only held if the child is eligible for services.
IEP/IFSP Meeting
During an IEP/IFSP meeting, the different members of the team share their thoughts and suggestions. If this is the first meeting after the child’s evaluation/screener by the external agency, the team may go over the results of the evaluation/screener so the child’s strengths and needs will be clear. These results will help the team decide what special help the child will receive in school.
After the various team members (including the parent) have shared their thoughts and concerns about the child, the group will have a better idea of that child’s strengths and needs.
- An IEP/IFSP meeting will typically include:
- Parent/Guardian
- Home Visitor or Family Worker
- Primary Caregiver (Under 3)
- Teacher and/or Associate Teacher (Over 3)
- Representative(s) from the external agency
- The meeting may be held at family’s home (IFSP) or other location.
- The meeting is facilitated by the external agency. IFSP meetings are typically 1 hour, while IEP meetings may last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Preparing for the IEP/IFSP Meeting
It is the responsibility of Head Start staff to prepare the parent/guardian to discuss their child during the upcoming IEP/IFSP meeting with the external agency. This involves meeting with the parent or guardian to complete the CST IEP IFSP Parent Worksheet.
- For an IEP meeting, the Home Visitor or Family Worker will meet with the parent/guardian to complete the worksheet.
- For an IFSP meeting, the Home Visitor or Family Worker and Primary Caregiver will meet with the parent/guardian to complete the parent worksheet.
If a Home Visitor is meeting with the parent/guardian, they should plan to meet at the family’s home. If a Family Worker or Primary Caregiver is meeting with the parent/guardian, the meeting could take place at either the family’s home or at a center.
At the meeting with the parent/guardian, complete the Parent Worksheet to document the thoughts of the parent/guardian on:
- The child’s strengths
- Educational concerns
- General concerns
- Any other thoughts or concerns
After the meeting, the completed worksheet should be filed in the child’s file. A copy of the worksheet should be given to the parent/guardian to take to the IEP/IFSP and also scanned to the Disabilities Department, who enters it into Child Plus under the Disabilities module.
More about the IEP/IFSP Meeting
At the IEP/IFSP Meeting, the parent/guardian should be prepared to talk about their child and can use the completed worksheet as a reference when answering questions posed by the external agency.
An IEP/IFSP plan is written during the meeting by everyone in attendance. It is a team approach to creating the plan for the child.
After the IEP/IFSP meeting is held:
- The IEP/IFSP plan developed during the meeting will be incorporated into the Individual child goals (part of Ongoing Assessment)
- An Inclusion Plan may be formulated for a child with an IEP/IFSP depending on the child’s needs
- Parents can request an IEP or an IFSP meeting whenever they would like to discuss their child’s progress. Otherwise, an annual IEP meeting is held to review the child’s progress. A meeting is held every 6-months for an IFSP.
- Prior to each follow-up IEP/IFSP meeting, a separate meeting should be scheduled with the parent/guardian to revisit and update the Parent Worksheet.
Important Notes:
- At any time, a parent/guardian can refer to the Parent Education/Advocacy Packet (a.k.a. The “purple folder”) for helpful information. The Home Visitor/Family Worker may need to remind them that they have the packet available for help.
More about the IEP/IFSP
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
When a child requires special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document listing, among other things, the special educational services that the child will receive.
The IEP has two general purposes:
- To establish measurable annual goals for the child;
- To state the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services that the public agency will provide to, or on behalf of, the child.
When constructing an appropriate educational program for a child with a disability, the IEP team broadly considers the child’s involvement and participation in three main areas of school life:
- The general education curriculum,
- Extracurricular activities, and
- Non-academic activities
The IEP is developed by a team that includes the child’s parents and school staff. The IEP is an extremely important document in the educational lives of students with disabilities receiving special education under IDEA.
For more information on the IEP, read All about the IEP
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Early intervention is a system of services that helps babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention focuses on helping eligible babies and toddlers learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as:
- Physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking)
- Cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems)
- Communication (talking, listening, understanding)
- Social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy)
- Self-help (eating, dressing)
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is a written document that, among other things, outlines the early intervention services that a child and family will receive. One guiding principal of the IFSP is that the family is a child’s greatest resource, that a young child’s needs are closely tied to the needs of his or her family.
The best way to support children and meet their needs is to support and build upon the individual strengths of their family. So, the IFSP is a whole family plan with the parents as major contributors in its development. Involvement of other team members will depend on what the child needs. These other team members could come from several agencies and may include medical people, therapists, child development specialists, social workers, and others.
For more information on the IFSP, read Overview of Early Intervention
References
- CST / IEP / IFSP Parent Worksheet – Formster | English | Spanish
- Teachers guide – IEP
- All About the IEP
- Overview of Early Intervention
- Referral for Observation/Consultation (form): English | Spanish
- Disability and Special Education Acronyms
- Developmental Disabilities page on the CDC website
- Far Northern Regional Center
- Rowell Family Empowerment website
- Helping Parents Understand the Process of their Child Aging out of an IFSP – English | Spanish (this is a performance standard that we educate parents)
- CA Dept. Of Education – Resources on IEPs for Children with Disabilities
- IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act