EI/ECSE

Services and Staff

Individual Family Service Plan?

An Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is a plan of services individualized for each child and family. A team of professionals and the child’s parents develop the IFSP. All eligible children with developmental delays or disabilities, from birth to kindergarten age, have an IFSP. The IFSP is a written plan that describes:

• The child’s abilities
• The child’s needs
• Services for the child and family
• Family outcomes related to the child’s needs
• Goals and objectives reflecting both the child’s developmental and special education needs.

What services does the EI/ECSE Program provide to children and families?

The focus of Oregon’s EI/ECSE services is on building the family’s capacity to meet the special needs of the child. This is accomplished by incorporating strategies for promoting the child’s development into family and community daily activities.

Services provided to Districts, Agencies, Children/Students and their Families include:

• Assistive communication devices and equipment loan
• Audiological evaluation and services
• Autism services
• Behavior services
• Deaf and hard of hearing services
• Developmental consultation/education
• Developmentally appropriate preschool (ages 3-5) emphasizing speech, language, cognitive, motor, and
• social/emotional development
• Interpreter and translation services
• Nursing services
• Parent/family education
• Parent support groups
• Physical and Occupational therapy
• Speech/language therapy
• Vision services
• Staff Qualifications

Licensed Teachers and Specialists in the EI/ECSE program have master’s degrees and are specifically trained in:

• Developmentally appropriate practices
• Early childhood education
• Services and education of children with special needs
• Speech and language development

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

ECSE offers special education services to eligible children starting at age 3 and continuing until they enter kindergarten. Services can include specially designed instruction and/or related services such as physical, occupational, or speech and language therapy. Services may be provided at community preschools, childcare facilities or at ECSE center sites.

The focus of Oregon’s Early Childhood Special Education program is on:

• teaching the child needed skills in areas of developmental delay,
• preparing the child for a school setting, and,
• incorporating intervention strategies into the child’s day.

ECSE services are determined by the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) team and may include:

• Articulation Group focuses on children with speech sound development.
• ECSE Developmental Class is recommended for three to five-year-olds who need more structure, practice and repetition to learn.
• Structured Class (Applied Behavior) is recommended for children who are three to five years old who have autism spectrum disorder and require a highly specialized, intensive intervention program.
• Consultation to Community Sites is recommended for children who will benefit from a preschool environment with typical peers and special education services/support which can be provided at that site.
• Direct Therapy is provided to those children who have specific therapy needs. General developmental delays are addressed by an EI/ECSE specialist. Training and/or consultation from a therapist are provided to ECSE specialists and parents as needed. Related service providers will offer ways to support and train the EI/ECSE specialist so they have the knowledge and skills to work effectively on motor and communication goals. Therapy may be provided by a speech language pathologist, physical therapist and/or occupational therapist.
• Connections to Community Resources Specialists and therapists may assist parents as they identify community-based providers or services (support groups, social services, community activities, and so on).
• Information from a variety of sources (articles, Internet, library, videos, etc.) about typical child development, your child’s specific disability, assistive technology and equipment, use of an interpreter, and so on.

Level of services in each of these options vary and are based on the needs of the child and family.

Early Intervention Services

EI supports families in developing the skills to help their children learn and grow. Services are delivered through a parent coaching model in each family’s home or other care giving settings. Services are available for children from birth to three years who have developmental delays in one or more or the following areas: cognitive, physical, communication, self-help, and/or social skills. EI services are also provided to children who have medically diagnosed conditions that are likely to result in a developmental delay later in the child’s development.

The focus of Oregon’s Early Intervention program is to build the family’s capacity to meet the special needs of the child with a disability. Most interventions are provided to the child within everyday routines, activities, and places within their natural environment. Family members or caregivers are shown strategies for teaching the child in situations where and when a skill is used.

Early Intervention services may include:

• Home Visits by specialists or therapists that focus on increasing a child’s skill development in areas identified by the team and on coaching parents in specific techniques or strategies to further expand a child’s skills or increase participation in family routines.
• Parent-Toddler Groups which provide parents with opportunities to learn specific intervention strategies for teaching their children. Children also have opportunities for social and communication interaction, skill development, and practice in an enriched and guided environment.
• Structured Class (Applied Behavior), recommended for children who are two years old who have autism spectrum disorder and require a highly specialized, intensive intervention program.
• Direct Therapy, provided to those children who have specific therapy needs. Training and/or consultation from a therapist are provided to EI specialists and parents as needed. Related service providers will offer ways to support and train the EI specialist so they have the knowledge and skills to work effectively on motor and communication goals.
• Connections to Community Resources Specialists and therapists may assist parents as they identify community-based providers or services (support groups, social services, community activities, and so on).
• Information from a variety of sources (articles, Internet, library, videos, etc.) about typical child development, your child’s specific disability, assistive technology and equipment, use of an interpreter, and so on.

Levels of service in each of these options vary and are based on the needs of the child and family.