6.5: IEP/IFSP and Our Roles as Educators
- Page ID
- 228281
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Teachers will have children in their classrooms with diagnosed and undiagnosed special needs, including those related to their health. Early childhood programs have legal obligations to provide inclusive programs and inclusion benefits for everyone involved (children with special needs, their peers that do not have special needs, families, and teachers). Having a solid foundation in developmentally appropriate practice, which includes the importance of learning about and meeting the needs of each individual child, goes a long way to providing inclusive early education.
Children who are eligible for and who receive early intervention or special education services have individual plans with goals and strategies for caregivers and providers to use. For children under age three, the plans are called Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSPs); for children over age three, the plans are called Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Early childhood educators can be an important member of an IFSP or IEP team when these plans are being developed.
Image Source: Welcome to the Individualized Family Service Plan Page. California Academy on Transition Studies (CATS). CalState-LA.
Fig. 6.5. Parents with toddler with disabilities and the child's two older siblings.
Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP)
An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is the key to early intervention services. An IFSP is comprehensive plan of action designed to meet the unique needs of an infant or toddler (under age 3) with developmental delays or disabilities and their family. The plan is created through a team approach, with input from the child’s family, caregivers, healthcare providers, and early intervention professionals. The plan outlines the individualized services, supports, and outcomes that will be provided to the child and their family, and is monitored and updated regularly. The goal of the IFSP is to ensure that the child’s needs are met and that they reach their fullest potential.
The guiding principle of the ISFP is that the child's greatest resource is their family. Children are best served within the context of family. Young children's needs are closely tied to the needs of their family. Both must be met to adequately serve the child. The nurturing, love, and commitment of a family cannot be replaced by any array of services. The best way to support children and meet their needs is to support and build upon the individual strengths of their family. The Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP) focuses on how the system can support the "whole" family, its cultural values, strengths, and needs.
An IFSP is much broader. It is used for children from infancy through age 2, involves the family more, and
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
An Individualized Education Program (or IEP) is a written statement for a child ages 3 and over with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised by a team of people, including the student's family, that outlines an educational plan for the student. The process begins with the family referring the student for services with the local school district. The local district evaluates the student and works with the family to determine whether special education services are needed. An individualized education program (IEP) is the documentation of how each student will receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education as required under state and federal special education regulations.
The major difference between an IFSP and an IEP:
- IFSP focuses on the child and family and the services that a family needs to help them enhance the development of their child
- may include professionals from several disciplines in planning for the child
- IEP focuses on the educational needs of the child. It is an education document for students ages 3 to 21
- focuses on special education and related services in schools
504 Plans
Section 504 is a federal law. It protects the rights of people with disabilities who are in programs that get money from the U.S. Department of Education. This includes public schools. A 504 plan provides accommodations, not modifications.
It is meant to make sure that students with disabilities can fully participate in all activities at the same level as students without disabilities. If a student is eligible for a 504 plan, a plan is written up for that student to access programs and after-school activities.
To be protected under Section 504, a student must meet the following criteria: • Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities • Have a record of such impairment (medical diagnoses, aptitude or achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical conditions, social or cultural background, and/or adaptive behavior) • Is thought to have such impairment, and it is not thought to be temporary
IFSP/IEP/504 and Our Roles as Educators
Early childhood teachers can play a role in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) process in several ways,
- supporting the child AND their family
- enhancing the development and educational needs of the child through observation and feedback
- help children move toward their IFSP/IEP goals by building them into learning experiences
- designing classrooms to accommodate children's special needs.
Sources
- Birth to 3 Program - Guiding Principles. Birth-3 Program. The Bureau of Children’s Services (BCS) at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). 2022
- Esquivel, Krischa . et al. What Programs Can Do To Be Inclusive of All Children. The Role of Equity and Diversity in Early Childhood Education. LibreTexts, Social Sciences Library. Shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Krischa Esquivel, Emily Elam, Jennifer Paris, & Maricela Tafoya.
- IFSP Development. Early Intervention in Wisconsin. The Bureau of Children’s Services (BCS) at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).
- Section 504 Plans. Children's Wisconsin.