A Parent's Dictionary: Early Intervention ABC's

Adapted from Michigan Early Intervention System, A Parent’s Dictionary: Early Intervention A-Z

1. Adaptive- Self-help skills used in daily life, such as feeding, toileting, dressing
   Advocacy- Supporting/defending a child’s interests and rights
   Assessment- Procedures to evaluate and identify the child’s unique needs and strengths, family resources and concerns, connection between evaluation procedures and the services needed to address those needs
   Assistive Technology-Equipment to improve/maintain the abilities of the child
   At Risk- Children who may, in the future, have problems in learning or development
   Audiology- Finding/preventing hearing loss
   
   
   
2. Baseline- The first measurement of a function that is later compared to one in the future
   
   
3. Cognitive- The process of remembering, reasoning, understanding, and making decisions
   Confidentiality- The right to privacy of information about the child and family; not released without parent consent
   Consent- Parent approval in writing which is always voluntary and may be revoked at any time.
   Counseling- Advice given by someone qualified to give it
   
   
4. Developmental- Referring to one of the four stages of child development
   Developmental delay- When a child does not attain the expected level of development based on age
   Disability- A delay or condition likely to result in a developmental delay
   Due Process- Procedures to protect a person’s rights, including confidentiality and consent
   Dominant language- The first language the family normally uses
   
   
5. Early Intervention Services- Services described in the IFSP, provided by qualified personnel, provided with parent consent and in the natural environment to the maximum extent.
   Eligibility Requirements- Legal requirements a child meets to receive early intervention services, including whether they have a disability or developmental delay
   Evaluation- Testing to determine if the child meets eligibility requirements
   
   
6. Family concerns- Parent input about needs and issues to be addressed in the IFSP
   Family Resources- Strengths, abilities and supports used to address the desired outcome for the child
   Family training-Services to assist the family in understanding and addressing their child’s special needs

8. Health Services- Health related services to help a child benefit from early Intervention
   Home visits-When a professional visits the home to plan and provide early intervention services
   
   
9. IFSP- Individualized Family Service Plan, services written and developed by family and professionals to meet the child’s special needs
   Impartial hearing- A formal process, similar to a lawsuit, to resolve a dispute
   between the parent and the agency paying for the services.

12. Lead agency- The state agency with the legal power and responsibility to implement a statewide early intervention system.
    
    
13. Mediation- A way to resolve a dispute without litigation
    Multidisciplinary- When two or more professionals with different areas of training evaluate the child and develop the IFSP
    
    
14. Natural environment- Normal settings for young children without disabilities,including the home, child care setting, or other community settings
    Nursing services- Evaluation of the health status of the child and providing nursing care to prevent health problems and restore and improve functioning through a licensed physician’s prescription.
    Nutritional services- Identifying feeding skills, problems, food habits and food preferences
    
    
15. Occupational therapy- Services relating to self-help skills, adaptive behavior and play, and sensory, motor and postural development
    Outcomes- The section of the IFSP that states the changes expected to be seen as the result of the child getting services
    
    
16. Parent- A parent/person in a parental relationship to a child
    Personally identifiable information- Family names, social security numbers, addresses and other information that are private and not to be released without parent consent
    Physical Therapy- Services to prevent/lessen movement difficulties and related functional problems
    Placement- The place where the services are delivered, preferably in a natural setting
    Psychological Services- Giving and interpreting psychological tests, planning services including counseling, consultation, parent training and education programs
    
    
17. Qualified personnel- Personnel who provide services within the limits of their licensure, certification or registration.
    
    
18. Respite- Temporary child care made available to families of children with disabilities
    
    
19. Screening- A brief process to assess the child’s status to see if further testing is warranted
    Service Coordinator- A representative of the agency providing services who works in partnership with the family to coordinate services and obtain services in the IFSP Social work services- An assessment of the child’s and family’s social and emotional Needs, and providing services to meet those needs
    Special instruction- Includes designing learning environments and activities to promote the child’s development
    Special Needs- Term used to describe a child with a disability
    Speech-Language Pathology- Services in communication skills or with motor skills as weakness of muscles around the mouth or swallowing
    Surrogate parent- A person appointed to act in place of the parent when the parent is not available
    
    
20. Transition- The process beginning at age 2 ½ where children at age 3 move from Early Intervention to the Preschool Special Education Program in the local school district
    Transportation- The agency providing services pays for the cost of travel to enable a child to receive early intervention services

22. Vision services- Identification and provision of services to children with visual Disorders

(NOTE: The Michigan version of this dictionary is found at http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/Dictionary.htm, which was adapted from the State of New York’s Parent Dictionary).