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In light of the powerful recent research
that substantiates that the greatest window of opportunity to influence
child development is during the first years of life, early identification
of young children with disabilities or who may be at risk for developmental
delay becomes more important than ever. Nationwide, the number of infants
and toddlers served by Part C of IDEA has increased by 25% from 1994 to
1999 (U.S. Department of Education, 1996 & 2001), showing steady improvement
on the ability of states to identify and serve eligible young children.
However, infants (birth - 12 months) represented only 17% of the total
number of young children receiving Part C services in the 1999 Part C
IDEA child count (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Further, according
to the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (2001), the average
age of identification for developmental delay is 15.5 months. Thus, much
work remains to be done to assure that state child find and public awareness
systems are effectively identifying all eligible young children and their
families.
The Child Find State Improvement Process is designed to assist states and local programs to examine their policies and practices in Child Find, public awareness and the early screening and identification of young children with disabilities or who may be at risk for developmental delay. Based on the assumption that each state and local area faces its own challenges and generates its own solutions, the process relies on self-evaluation and creative problem solving by key constituency groups concerned about families and young children, such as state Interagency Coordinating Councils and early childhood coalitions. The four-step process reflects a work in progress. The process begins with an evaluation and needs assessment, followed by prioritization of needs, action planning, and implementation. In addition, this four-step process may be linked directly to a state’s U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) Continuous Improvement and Monitoring Process. Further, it is important to note that the OSEP Continuous Improvement and Monitoring Process (CIMP) includes several indicators in the areas of child find and public awareness that states must address as part of the overall process of providing early intervention and special education services. States that have engaged in the CIMP will already have a good deal of information on the status of their Child Find program and practices, priority areas of need, action steps to address their needs, and evaluation activities to determine the effectiveness of the improvement effort. Thus, it would be beneficial to determine whether or not your state has participated in the OSEP's CIMP prior to beginning this four-step process. We Need Your HelpDo you know of any good resources or materials related to Child Find? We would like to hear from you. When the Child Find Improvement Process is completed, it will include a list of recommended resources, materials, and information that may be helpful to states or communities in enhancing the quality of their Child Find and public awareness systems and activities. Please send your ideas and information on materials or resources to: Debra Nelson Step 1: Needs Assessment/EvaluationThe first step in the Child Find Improvement Process is to assess or evaluate: (a) how a state or community currently addresses Child Find and public awareness (e.g., procedures, cost, strengths and weaknesses, etc.); and (b) how the state or community is performing relative to various quality indicators (e.g., average age of identification, percent of children served compared to the general population for that age group, cultural sensitivity of Child Find materials, etc.). Step 2: Prioritizing NeedsOnce the needs assessment/evaluation has been completed, the information and data must be organized into a list of potential areas of focus. Participants in the needs assessment/evaluation process must then prioritize the areas of need based on factors they consider important (e.g., potential impact of addressing the area of need, available and needed resources to address the area of need). Step 3: Action Planning and Implementing Improvement StrategiesNow an action plan needs to be developed to improve the state’s or community’s Child Find or public awareness policies, practices and activities. The action plan may include information such as short- and long-term goals and objectives related to each identified priority, a statement on why the goal/objective is important, activities to achieve the goals or objectives, timelines, responsible person(s), expected outcomes, and evaluation activities (i.e., how you will know if the goal/objective has been accomplished). Step 4: Evaluating OutcomesIn addition to evaluation activities related to each goal or objective in the action plan, a plan needs to be developed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Child Find Improvement Process. States and communities may elect to focus their evaluation on the global indicators specified by the OSEP's CIMP, or to broaden the scope of the evaluation to include additional areas. References Hebbeler, K., Wagner, M., Spiker, D., Scarborough, A., Simeonsson, R., and Collier, M. (September 27, 2001). A First Look At The Chararcteristics Of Children And Families Entering Early Intervention Services. SRI International, National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study. Retrieved June 18, 2002 from http://www.sri.com/neils/FormAreport.pdf United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (1996). Eighteenth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved June 18, 2002, from http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/index.html United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (2001). Twenty-third Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved June 18, 2002, from http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/index.html |
