Adaptive:  self-help skills the child uses for daily living (such as feeding, toileting, dressing).

Advocacy:  the act of supporting or defending a child’s interest and rights.

Assessment: means the initial and ongoing procedure used to identify:

(1) the child’s unique needs and strengths;

(2)     the family’s resources, priorities and concerns relative to that child’s development; and

(3)     the nature and extent of early intervention services that are needed by the child and the child’s family to address the needs identified in the evaluation process.

At Risk: a term used for children who may, in the future, have problems with their development that may affect learning or development.

Audiology:  identification of children with hearing impairments and providing services for hearing loss and prevention of hearing loss.

Cognitive: a term that describes the process used for remembering, reasoning, understanding and making decisions.

Confidentiality:  the right that personal information about a child and family is not released without parent consent or only when permitted or required by law.

Consent:  the approval a parent gives to a program or the county, generally in writing.  Consent is always voluntary and a parent may revoke it at any time.

Developmental:  having to do with the steps or stages in the growth of a child.

Developmental Delay: an indication that a child has not attained the expected level of development based on the child’s age.

Developmental History:  the developmental progress of a child in such skills as sitting, walking or talking.

Developmental Test:  tests that measure a child’s development compared to the development of other children at that age.

Disability:  a developmental delay or a physical or mental condition which is very likely to result in a child having a developmental delay.

Early Intervention Official:  the person that the county or New York City has appointed to be responsible for the Early Intervention Program in that county.

Early Intervention Services:  services provided by qualified personnel and meet the needs of the child and family as described in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).  These services are provided with parent consent and to the maximum extent possible in the natural environment.

Eligibility Requirements:  the requirements a child must meet to be able to receive early intervention services.  This will include the age of the child and whether or not the child has a disability or developmental delay.

Evaluation:  a process used to determine if a child meets the eligibility standards for early intervention.

Home Visits:  visits in your home by a professional for the purpose of planning and providing early intervention services.

IEP:  Individualized Education Plan.  A plan for a child’s special educational services that the parent and a committee on Preschool Special Education (for 3-5) or that the parent and a committee on Special Education (for children 5-21) will develop if their child qualifies for these services.

IFSP:  Individualized Family Service Plan.  A written plan for the child’s and family’s services in the Early Intervention Program that the family develops with a team of qualified personnel and Early Intervention Official.

Lead Agency: the state agency that the Governor has chosen to oversee and coordinate early intervention services.  The Department of Health is the lead agency for Early Intervention in New York State.

Multidisciplinary:  the involvement of two or more professionals from different areas of training in providing early intervention services; including evaluation, assessment and the development of the IFSP.

Natural Environment:  settings that are natural or normal for young children without disabilities.  This may include the home, a child care setting or other community settings in which children participate.

Occupational Therapy:  services that relate to self-help skills, adaptive behavior and play, and sensory, motor and postural development.

Physical Therapy:  services to prevent or lessen movement difficulties and related functional problems.

Screening:  a process used to assess the child’s developmental status to indicate what type of evaluation, if any, is warranted.

Service Coordinator:  someone who works in partnership with the family by providing assistance and services that help the family to coordinate and obtain their rights under the Early Intervention Program and services agreed upon on the IFSP.

Service Model Options: the ways that early intervention services may be provided to a child and family such as:

        Individual home and community-based visits which allow for one-to-one visits to a child and family at home or in another natural setting;

        Facility-based individual visits which allow for services to be provided at the site of an Early Intervention Program on a one-to-one basis to a child or family;

        Parent-child groups which allow for a group of parents and children to receive services at either the site of an Early Intervention Program or a community setting, such as day care;

        Group developmental interventions which allow for services to be provided on a group basis to children and family members either at a community site or an Early Intervention Program; and

       Family support groups which allow for support services and training to be provided to parents, siblings and other family members to promote the development of a child.

Special Needs:  (as in a child with “special needs”) a term used to describe a child who has a disability or developmental delay, and requires special services or treatment.

Speech-Language Pathology:  services for children with delays in communication skills or with motor skills such as weakness of muscles around the mouth or swallowing.

Surrogate Parent:  a person who is appointed to act in place of the parent when parents are not available to participate in making decisions about their child’s involvement in the Early Intervention Program.  A parent may voluntarily designate a surrogate parent.

Transition:  the process where the children at age 3 will move from the Early Intervention Program to the Preschool Special Education Program or other early childhood supports or services.