Educational Services Resource

Three types of individualized plans are used to guide education and developmental services for children with special health care needs. For all three, the physician’s role involves identifying the medical needs that require accommodation in an educational setting, writing a medical statement to describe the needed accommodations, and answering questions of the child, parents and school team.

  • Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for children birth to three years old
  • Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for children ages 3-21 who qualify for special education
  • 504 Plan for children with disabilities or health conditions that require accommodations in an educational setting, but do not qualify for special education.

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
An IFSP guides developmental services for children from birth to age 3, in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). An IFSP includes both child and family goals, and focuses on the child and family’s natural environment and activities. Teamwork and communication are required to develop and implement an IFSP, as the family members and service providers work together to plan and implement services that are unique to the family’s concerns and priorities.

Each IFSP must include

  • The child’s current levels of development
  • The family’s resources, priorities, and concerns relating to the child’s development
  • The goals for the child and the family, and procedures for reaching these goals
  • The frequency, intensity, and method of delivery of early intervention services necessary
  • The name of the service provider responsible for coordinating and implementing the plan
  • Steps to support the child’s transition into preschool

The IFSP is evaluated on a regular basis, focusing on the quality of the intervention and the progress toward established goals. The child’s development is reviewed every six months, and the IFSP is evaluated and revised annually.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
An IEP is a specially designed document that helps teachers, parents, and school administrators to work together to provide a quality education for children with special needs. The document must be written within 30 days of the school’s identification of the child’s disability, and is written by an IEP team, which includes:

  • The student, if appropriate
  • The student’s parents
  • Special education and regular education teachers
  • A school system representative
  • A person who can interpret evaluation results
  • Others with knowledge or expertise about the child (may include a physician)

After the IEP has been implemented, it is reviewed on an annual basis and can be revised as needed. The child is reevaluated every three years to determine if he or she still meets the definition established by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of a child with a disability. Although each IEP is unique to the child for whom it is written, it must contain certain information, including:
  • How the child’s progress will be measured and how parents will stay informed
  • The child’s current educational performance
  • Annual academic, social, and/or physical goals
  • Special education services to be provided to the child, including supplementary services
  • The extent to which the child will participate in activities with children who do not have special needs
  • Modifications in achievement tests that will be administered to the child
  • When, where, and how long the child’s special education services will be provided
  • Plans for transition to adult services and long-term goals as the child gets older.

504 Plan
Section 504 is a federal statute that protects children and adults with disabilities from discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal funding, including public education. A 504 Plan designs a program of instructional and educational services to assist students with special needs in a regular education setting, ensuring that their education takes place in the least restrictive environment and is equal to that provided to students without disabilities. Examples of accommodations in 504 Plans include:

  • Preferential seating, such as a seat near the front of the classroom to reduce distractions
  • Allowing diabetic children to eat in the classroom, test their sugar levels, administer insulin or carry needed supplies during the school day and at school-related activities
  • Permitting the child to go to the office or nurse’s office as needed for medication
  • Adjusting a student’s testing conditions or assignments

Students eligible for a 504 Plan include those with chronic health conditions that require adaptation for full participation in the education program, and those with a physical or emotional disability or a disorder that restricts major life activities, such as walking, hearing, working, or learning. Children can qualify for a 504 Plan even if they are not eligible for special education. Examples include children with diabetes, sickle cell anemia, or cancer who do not have intellectual or other learning limitations, but who still need special accommodations. Much like an IEP or IFSP, the 504 plan involves a variety of individuals who participate in the creation and implementation of the plan, including the student, parents, teachers, school administrators, and any relevant counselors, experts, or physicians. Each school system should have someone who knows the details about developing a 504 Plan. A physician’s role involves describing a child’s health care needs and the accommodations these needs require to enable full participation in an educational setting. (See The Medical Statement Resource)

 

 

  
 
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