A federal law called Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act established early intervention programs across the country. The purpose of early intervention is to: (1) identify infants and toddlers who have disabilities or delays in their physical, social communication, or cognitive development, (2) perform tests to better understand what is causing the delay and how the child is affected, and (3) to connect children and their families to services early in life that will support their growth and development so they will be ready to go to school. Services can include family training, home visits, special instruction, speech therapy, audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, service coordination, testing and assessment services, social work services, vision services, assistive technology devices and services, and transportation to and from these different services.
Families can be referred to their local early intervention program through their child’s physician, a teacher, a service provider, or by making a self-referral. The program will arrange to have the child tested in different areas of development, and if the child is found eligible, will talk to the family about what they need to help their child grow and develop. A team of professionals in different areas of child development will help the family create an Individualized Family Service Plan that contains information about the child’s current development, the family’s resources and needs, the outcomes that the family and the child will achieve, the services necessary to meet the family’s and child’s needs, the environment in which services will take place, the dates services will begin and end, the name of the service coordinator who will be the primary contact person for the family, and the steps the program will take to help the child move from early intervention to preschool or other community services.
The early intervention program may require families to pay or use their insurance for certain services. The program may also help families who have financial difficulties pay for some services.
Early intervention programs must follow certain rules to make sure families are treated fairly in the early intervention system. These rules are called procedural safeguards. Some examples of these safeguards are confidentiality of private information; the right of parents to decide whether they will accept or decline services; the chance to review a child’s records; and the responsibility of the program to inform parents in writing when services may change. Be sure to ask for a copy of your rights as a parent when you first enter the early intervention program.
Chesapeake Center, Inc.
6506 Loisdale Rd. Suite 300 Springfield, VA 22150-1815
Phone: 703-924-4100
Email: info@chesapeakectr.com
Web site: www.chesapeakectr.com
Easter Seals Child Development Center of Northern Virginia
111 North Cherry Street Falls Church, VA 22046
Phone: 703-534-5353
Fax: 703-534-5355
Web site: www.easterseals.com
Good Beginnings
6231 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church VA 22044
Phone: 703-536-1817
Fax: 703-536-5677
E-mail: gbtherapy@verizon.net
Northern Virginia Healthy Families and Early Head Start
Contact: Maria Monterroso
Phone: 703-892-0637
Fax: 703-892-0637
E-mail: mmonterroso@nvfs.org
St. John's Community Services
Contact: Maria Monterroso
2201 Wisconsin Ave NW Suite 120 Washington D.C. 20007
Phone: 202-237-6500
Fax: 703-892-0637
Web site: www.sjcs.org
Estate planning is the process of deciding how to leave your money and resources to your children after your death. Estate planning is the best way to ensure your child’s security and well-being after you are no longer there to support him or her. However, it is important to work with legal and financial professionals who are familiar with estate planning for people who have disabilities and who receive government benefits. Otherwise, you may create a plan that makes your child ineligible for programs such as Social Security or Medicaid in the future. This plan for distributing your financial resources and other belongings is called a will. Some parents choose to invest their financial resources in a special account called a trust, which, if organized and managed properly, can provide your child modest to considerable savings for services and other living expenses.
The Arc of Northern Virginia
Personal Support Trusts
Contact: Carrie Frey
98 North Washington Street Falls Church, VA 22046
Phone: 703-532-3214
Fax: 703-532-3398
E-mail: info@thearcofnova.org
Web site: www.thearcofnova.org
The National Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities/ The National Dissemination Center
Phone: 800-695-0285
TTY: 800-695-0285
Fax: 202 884-8441
E-mail: nichcy@aed.org
Web site: www.nichcy.org
