The process of diagnosing a child with a disability, and obtaining special education services, can be complex and take significant time. Special education services do not just start when a child is old enough to attend school, services for a student with a disability can begin as early as birth, and go until that child graduates high school, and even beyond, until they are twenty-two. To start the process, there first has to be a diagnosis. Testing was not always a major factor for pre-school students, as the focus was primarily on students with clearly identifiable disabilities (Spector, n.d.). Once it is established that the child has a disability, there will be testing and assessments made in order to determine the specific nature of the
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Early intervention services are critical for newborns and tots who are disabled, or at risk of developing a disability as they mature (Guralnick M (1997). These comprehensive services and programs are designed to provide assistance to children, and their families, who are disabled. Access to services is crucial to helping a disabled child successfully develop as they grow in adults (Malinowski, 2011). Service types range from family-centered services to more institutionalized services, primarily depending on the needs of the disabled child, and what is stated in the IFSP, or Individualized Family Service Plan (Hedeen, Peter, Moses, Engiles, & Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education, 2013). The main goal of early intervention services is to identify the educational, social, and health related needs of the student, in order to properly engage the student in the learning process, as well as plan for any future challenges the student may face along the way (Heward, 2000). In many ways, the outcome here is to properly prepare the student for their future. By giving the student skills and services at an early age, they are more likely to thrive and build upon those skills, and thus become a more independent
Early intervention services are critical for newborns and tots who are disabled, or at risk of developing a disability as they mature (Guralnick M (1997). These comprehensive services and programs are designed to provide assistance to children, and their families, who are disabled. Access to services is crucial to helping a disabled child successfully develop as they grow in adults (Malinowski, 2011). Service types range from family-centered services to more institutionalized services, primarily depending on the needs of the disabled child, and what is stated in the IFSP, or Individualized Family Service Plan (Hedeen, Peter, Moses, Engiles, & Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education, 2013). The main goal of early intervention services is to identify the educational, social, and health related needs of the student, in order to properly engage the student in the learning process, as well as plan for any future challenges the student may face along the way (Heward, 2000). In many ways, the outcome here is to properly prepare the student for their future. By giving the student skills and services at an early age, they are more likely to thrive and build upon those skills, and thus become a more independent