IFSP Child and Family Outcomes: Creating Clarity With a Team-Based Approach

171 Vol. 25, No. 4, December 2022 YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250620972716 DOI: 10.1177/1096250620972716 journals.sagepub.com/home/yec Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions © 2020 Division for Early Childhood Mrs. Alvarez, a service coordinator for Child and Family Connections, works with new parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vero to facilitate early intervention services (EIS) for their son. Fernando is a 22-month-old boy with Down syndrome and developmental delays in speech-language, fine and gross motor skills, and cognition. Mrs. Alvarez, an experienced coordinator, knows the importance of family engagement in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process and building responsive partnerships. As a result, she dedicates time— beginning with their first meeting— to learning about the family’s strengths, needs, and priorities. Mrs. Alvarez and the family notice that Fernando’s current IFSP includes present levels of development (PLOD) and associated outcome statements that are vague and outdated. They begin to update and improve Fernando’s IFSP and his EIS through a team-based approach. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C (IDEA, 2004) is a federal program that assists states with delivering EIS for infants and toddlers with developmental delay up until their third birthday and their families (Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center [ECTA], 2019). Through IDEA Part C, EIS are coordinated through a collaborative 972716 YECXXX10.1177/1096250620972716Young Exceptional ChildrenIFSP Child and Family Outcomes / DeSpain and Hedin research-article2020