Copper
Country "Early On" Overview
Early On
Michigan is mandated by Part C of the Federal
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of
1997. Early On Michigan provides a statewide system of
coordinated, early identification and intervention
services to families with infants and toddlers who have
special needs. The Michigan Department of Education,
Department of Community Health and the Family
Independence Agency are participating agencies in Early
On.
Early On includes a range of services to help
children from birth through age two who have special
needs. Early On includes all the programs and services
in a community, both public and private, that help
families promote the development of their infant or
toddler. Parents and agencies work together to find and
provide needed services within their local communities.
Early On is based on a collaboration among providers of
services and on partnerships with families.
Children from birth through age two can be eligible to
receive Early On Services if they have:
an established condition (physical, health or
mental) that will likely lead to a developmental
delay
or
a developmental delay of any degree in one or more
of the following areas: Physical, learning,
social/emotional, communication or self-help Early
intervention services for an eligible child and
family are designed to meet the developmental needs
of the child and the needs of the family in relation
to enhancing the development of their child.
Services are selected in collaboration with and
consent from parents. Services are provided at
little or no cost to the family. The services a
family and child are to receive are documented
through the development of an "Individualized Family
Service Plan" or IFSP, which is reviewed and revised
once every six months. Early On services are
family-centered, strength-based, multidisciplinary
and interagency focused.
The
following types of services can be available through
Early On and the various agencies participating in
early intervention services. Many of these services are
free, some are on a sliding scale and others are on a
fee-for-service basis.
-
audiology
-
speech/language
-
therapy
-
social work services
-
service coordination
-
occupational therapy
-
special instruction
-
family training
-
physical therapy
-
transportation
-
counseling
-
nutrition services
-
diagnostic services
-
home visits
-
vision services
-
service coordination
-
health services
-
assistive technology
-
development of the IFSP
-
nursing services
-
psychological services
Early On Helps Families:
-
see
their child's strengths
-
find and use informal supports
-
locate needed resources and services in the
community
-
coordinate services through one plan
-
learn to advocate for their child
Early On Helps Agencies/Hospitals/Schools:
-
reduce duplication and fragmentation of assessments
and services
-
use
existing resources more efficiently
-
identify and address gaps in services
-
link families with services more quickly
work together better and support each other's work
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