Western Panhandle Early Steps

Early Steps services are not intended to treat a child’s primary diagnosis. Services are educational or developmental and are designed to help families conduct activities of daily living with their child or to participate in the cultural and social experiences they hold valuable. Early Steps services are those necessary to achieve outcomes from the child’s Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) developed by the family, Service Coordinator and and service providers on the IFSP Team. Outcomes are to be functional and address the concerns and priorities expressed by the family. They are not based on test scores but are to be developed by problem solving the issues that arise in conducting daily routines and activities such as feeding, dressing, moving, communicating, playing, etc. All service plans are to be individualized to meet the needs of the child and family.

 According to the federal law, early intervention services for infants and toddlers are to be provided in the natural environment. This is defined locations with typically developing children and during normal daily routines and activities.

 Since the parent or other primary caregiver will be the one who will be with the child during their daily activities when natural learning opportunities occur, service providers provide instruction and coaching for families to identify how to include or embed intervention strategies into the child and family’s daily routines.

 The Primary Service Provider (PSP) model used by Early Steps identifies the most appropriate member of the child’s team to take the lead in providing instruction to the family in the natural environment. The PSP model requires a high degree of interaction and collaboration between team members for intervention planning, consultation and coaching. The role of the primary service provider can change to other team members depending on the needs of the child and family or on the focus of the current functional outcomes being addressed. One factor to consider in selecting a PSP is to ensure that providers conduct services that are within their scope of practice and in accordance with the regulations of licensure boards.

 If the team determines that direct therapy (treatment) will be necessary, the service is to be provided in the home. If treatment cannot be provided in the home setting, a Natural Environments Justification must be completed on the IFSP. The justification must be based on the needs of the child and there should be a plan for moving the service into the natural setting.

 All services provided to Early Steps children under the IFSP are to be reported by the provider to the Local Early Steps regardless of the payer for the service.