Person-Centered Planning (PCP) is a set of approaches designed to assist someone to plan their life and supports. It is used as a life planning model to enable individuals with disabilities to increase their personal self-determination and improve their own independence.
A person-centered plan is use to communicate who they are, their likes and dislikes, to express their wants and needs and what works for them.
The individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is a written plan that is developed for infant and toddlers up to the age of 3. It is Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act responsible for developing and implementing statewide early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
The difference between IFSP and an IEP, is that ISFP is written plan designed for the family while the IEP focus is the student. ISFP should include the following information:
Services provided through early intervention based on your child’s needs include:
Individualized family service plan team members include:
A service coordinator is provided to assist and enable an infant or a toddler with a disability and the family to receive services. The service coordinator also:
Here are some family autism resources for both families and educators.
15 Behavior Strategies for Children on the Autism Spectrum
How to Create a Backyard Sanctuary for Kids with Disabilities
For Educators: Strategies for Working With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Helping Asperger’s Teens To Survive and Thrive: 15 Key Steps
Creating a Home Atmosphere of Solitude to Help Cope with Adult Autism
This is an article that I have wanted to write for a long time as it is personal to me. I watch my youngest nephew growing up with the responsibility of caring for his older brother with a disability. From helping him get dressed in the morning to looking out for him while in school. As my nephew without disabilities grew, he would ask me why his brother was treated so special by others around him which is a difficult question to answer. Now an adult with a family of his own, he still is protective of his brother and continues to love him and look out for him.
Children who have siblings with disabilities often carry an added weight. They are protective of their siblings and from this added experience, it has taught them to be compassionate towards others. the following resources are useful for siblings, parents and providers looking for information to help families with disabilities. Please email me at specialneedsresourceblog@gmail.com if you have additional information that you would like to share.
Sibling Leadership–The mission of the Sibling Leadership Network is to provide siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them
Siblings of Autism-Siblings of Autism is dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals on the autism spectrum through educational scholarships, respite funds and outreach programs.
The Sibling Support Project– National program dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of brother and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns
Sibling Resources– A growing network of adult siblings of people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities. Provides up-to-date information, resources and training opportunities.
Sibling Support- Family Drug Help
Sibling of Children with Disabilities
5 ways to support siblings in special needs families (Child Mind Institute)
8 things siblings of children with special needs struggle with (Washington Post)
10 great books if you have a sibling with special needs (Friendship Circle)
12 ways to support siblings (Brooks Publishing Company)
Caring for siblings of children with special needs (Kids Health)
Dear sibling to a child with special needs (The Mighty)
Emotional problems facing siblings of children with disabilities (Psychiatry Advisor)
Having an autistic sibling (National Autistic Society)
Helping siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (Raising Children)
Siblings and Cerebral Palsy (Cerebral Palsy Guidance)
Sibling Issues (Center for Parent Information and Resources)
Sibling of children with disabilities (Psychology Today)
Supporting siblings of children with disabilities in the school setting (ERIC.ed)
Ways a child care providers can support siblings of children with special needs (Extension)
Early intervention services are provided through the IDEA Act- a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services.
Early interventions are covered under the IDEA Act and is defined to meet the developmental needs of an infant or toddler with a disability and the needs of the family to assist appropriately in the infants or toddler’s development as identified by the IFSP team in any one or more of the following areas:
IDEA Part C regulations also include intervention services that fall under the law including:
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) provides information on family rights, procedural safeguards and complaint resolution
For Military families with children with disabilities, click here to locate the Parent Training Information Center in Your state. There is also a Military Parent Technical Assistance Center
National Military Family Association
Resources Especially for Military Families
Resources for Military Families of Children with Disabilities
ECTA maintains a list of websites here.
