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.
Resources and Templates– An information and resource site for person-centered thinking, planning and practices including tools, templates and planning for older adults.
Manual for Person-Centered Planning Facilitators– Created for person-centered planning facilitators developed by the Institute on Community Integration UAP University of Minnesota. Contains topics on preparing a checklist, facilitating a plan, follow-up and challenging situations with difficult group members.
Circle of Support Workbook– Developed by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities. Provides an introduction to starting a circle of support group for individuals with disabilities.
Various Approaches
Essential Lifestyle Planning- A guide process designed to help the person discover what matters to them the most.
Essential Lifestyle Planning Forms- The Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services provide planning form tools including personal profile, and workbook.
MAPS
Inclusion Press– Resources available to purchase and download for free. Information on person-centered planning- PATH, MAPS and Circle of Support. The website also includes resources on inclusion.
PATH- Planning Alternative Tomorrows’ with Hope- uses a visual tool to detail the future
Personal Futures Planning- An ongoing process where the team replaces system-centered methods with person-centered planning.
A Brief Guide to Personal Futures Planning – A 25 page booklet which provides information on building a personal profile, using MAPS, and components of the Personal Futures Planning process.
Planning for the Future– A workbook to help students, their families and professionals to plan for life after high school. Using a person-centered approach to identify the student’s strength.
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:
Your child’s level of functioning and needs
Outcomes expected
Family information Natural environment
Where your child receives services
Number of sessions your child will receive for the service
Who will pay for the service
Services provided through early intervention based on your child’s needs include:
Audiological services
Vision services
Occupational and physical therapy
Special education service
Speech and language therapy
Medical and nursing service
Nutritional services
Psychological and social work services
Health services necessary for your child to benefit from other early intervention services
Family training, counseling, and home visits
Transportation to enable your child and family to receive early intervention services
Respite care and other family support services
Team Members
Individualized family service plan team members include:
Evaluator
Therapist
Service Coordinator
Parent or caregiver
Other family members
An advocate if requested by the parents
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:
Coordinates early intervention services and other services
Facilitates and participates in the development, and evaluation of the plan
Ensures services are provided in a timely manner
Facilitate the development of a transition plan to preschool, or to other services.
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 Organizations and Support Groups
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.
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:
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