The following words and terms, when used in this chapter,
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise:
Assessment-The ongoing procedures used
throughout the period of a child's eligibility under this chapter to identify
the following:
(i) The child's unique
strengths and needs and the services appropriate to meet those needs.
(ii) The resources, priorities and concerns
of the family and the supports and services necessary to enhance the family's
capacity to meet the developmental needs of its child.
Assistive technology device-An item,
piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the
shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve
the functional capabilities of infants and toddlers with disabilities.
Assistive technology service-A service
that directly assists an infant or toddler with a disability or the infant or
toddler's family in the selection, acquisition or use of an assistive
technology device. The term includes:
(i) The evaluation of the needs of an infant
or toddler with a disability, including a functional evaluation in the infant
or toddler's customary environment.
(ii) Purchasing, leasing or otherwise
providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by infants and
toddlers with disabilities.
(iii)
Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining,
repairing or replacing assistive technology devices.
(iv) Coordinating and using other therapies,
interventions or services with assistive technology devices, such as those
associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and
programs.
(v) Training or technical
assistance for an infant or toddler with a disability or, if appropriate, that
infant or toddler's family.
(vi)
Training or technical assistance for professionals, including individuals
providing early intervention services, or other individuals who provide
services to or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions
of infants and toddlers with disabilities.
At-risk child-An individual under 3
years of age:
(i) Whose birth weight is
under 1,500 grams.
(ii) Who was
cared for in a neonatal intensive care unit.
(iii) Who was born to a chemically dependent
mother and referred by a physician, health care provider or parent.
(iv) Who is seriously abused or neglected, as
substantiated and referred by the county children and youth agency under 23
Pa.C.S. Chapter 63 (relating to the Child Protective Services Law).
(v) Who has confirmed dangerous levels of
lead poisoning as set by the Department of Health.
Audiology services-Includes the
following:
(i) Identification of
hearing loss, using audiological screening techniques.
(ii) Determination of the range, nature and
degree of hearing loss and communication functions, by use of audiological
evaluation procedures.
(iii)
Referral for medical and other services necessary for the habilitation or
rehabilitation of hearing loss.
(iv)
Provision of auditory training, aural rehabilitation, speech reading and
listening device orientation and training, and other services to address
hearing loss.
(v) Provision of
services for prevention of hearing loss.
(vi) Determination of the need for individual
amplification, including selecting, fitting and dispensing appropriate
listening and vibrotactile devices, and evaluating the effectiveness of those
devices.
Child-An individual under 3 years of
age.
County MH/MR program-An MH/MR program
established by a county or two or more counties acting in concert which
includes a complex array of services providing a continuum of care in the
community for infants and toddlers with disabilities and at-risk
children.
Culturally competent-Conducted or
provided in a manner that shows awareness of and is responsive to the beliefs,
interpersonal styles, attitudes, language and behavior of children and families
who are referred for or receiving services.
Department-The Department of Public
Welfare of the Commonwealth.
Early intervention
services-Developmental services that meet the requirements of this
chapter and:
(i) Are provided under
public supervision.
(ii) Are
provided at no cost to families.
(iii) Are designed to meet the developmental
needs of an infant or toddler with a disability and the needs of the family
related to enhancing the infant or toddler's development in one or more of the
following areas:
(A) Physical development,
including vision and hearing.
(B)
Cognitive development.
(C)
Communication development.
(D)
Social or emotional development.
(E) Adaptive development.
(iv) Are provided in conformity
with an IFSP.
(v) Include, but are
not limited to, the following:
(A) Family
training, counseling and home visits.
(B) Special instruction.
(C) Speech-language pathology
services.
(D) Occupational
therapy.
(E) Physical
therapy.
(F) Psychological
services.
(G) Service
coordination.
(H) Medical services
only for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.
(I) Early identification and assessment
services.
(J) Health services
necessary to enable an infant or toddler with a disability to benefit from
other early intervention services.
(K) Social work services.
(L) Vision services.
(M) Assistive technology devices and
assistive technology services.
(N)
Transportation and related costs.
(O) Audiology services.
(P) Nursing services.
(Q) Nutrition services.
(vi) Are provided by qualified personnel,
including, but not limited to, the following:
(A) Special educators.
(B) Speech-language pathologists.
(C) Occupational therapists.
(D) Physical therapists.
(E) Psychologists.
(F) Social workers.
(G) Nurses.
(H) Nutritionists.
(I) Family therapists.
(J) Orientation and mobility
specialists.
(K) Pediatricians and
other physicians.
(L) Early
interventionists.
(M) Service
coordinators.
(N)
Audiologists.
Evaluation-Procedures used by qualified
personnel to determine a child's initial and continuing eligibility for
tracking or early intervention services.
Family training, counseling and home
visits-Services provided by social workers, psychologists or other
qualified personnel, as appropriate, to assist the family of an infant or
toddler with a disability in understanding the special needs of and enhancing
the development of the infant or toddler.
Health services-Services necessary to
enable an infant or toddler with a disability to benefit from other early
intervention services, while an infant or toddler is receiving another early
intervention service.
(i) The term
includes the following:
(A) Clean intermittent
catheterization, tracheostomy care, tube feeding, the changing of dressings or
colostomy collection bags.
(B)
Consultation by physicians with other service providers concerning the special
health care needs of an infant or toddler with a disability that will need to
be addressed in the course of providing other early intervention
services.
(ii) The term
does not include the following:
(A) Services
that are surgical in nature (such as cleft palate surgery, surgery for club
foot or the shunting of hydrocephalus).
(B) Services that are purely medical in
nature (such as hospitalization for management of congenital heart ailments, or
the prescribing of medicine or drugs for any purpose).
(C) Devices necessary to control or treat a
medical condition.
(D)
Medical-health services (such as immunizations and regular "well-baby" care)
that are routinely recommended for all children.
IFSP-Individualized family service
plan-A written plan for providing early intervention services to an
infant or toddler with a disability and the infant or toddler's family.
Infant or toddler with a disability-An
individual under 3 years of age who needs early intervention services because
the individual meets one or more of the eligibility criteria specified in §
4226.22(a)
(relating to eligibility for early intervention services).
Location-The actual place or places
where a service is or will be provided.
MH/MR-Mental health/mental
retardation.
Medical services only for diagnostic or
evaluation purposes-Services provided by a licensed physician to
determine a child's developmental status and need for early intervention
services.
Method-How a service is provided,
including whether the service is given directly to the infant or toddler with a
disability, with family or child care participation or without family or child
care participation, or whether the service is provided as instruction to the
family or caregiver.
Multidisciplinary-Involving two or more
disciplines or professions in the provision of integrated and coordinated
services, including evaluation and assessment activities and development of the
IFSP.
Native language-The language or mode of
communication normally used by the parent of a child. If the parent is deaf or
blind, or has no written language, the mode of communication is that normally
used by the parent (such as sign language, Braille or oral
communication).
Natural environments-Settings that are
natural or normal for a child's age peers who have no disabilities, including
the home and community settings in which children without disabilities
participate.
Nursing services-Includes the
following:
(i) Assessing health status
for the purpose of providing nursing care, including the identification of
patterns of human response to actual or potential health problems.
(ii) Providing nursing care to prevent health
problems, restore or improve functioning, and promote optimal health and
development.
(iii) Administering
medications, treatments and regimens prescribed by a licensed
physician.
Nutrition services-Includes the
following:
(i) Conducting individual
assessments in the following:
(A) Nutritional
history and dietary intake.
(B)
Anthropometrical, biochemical and clinical variables.
(C) Feeding skills and feeding
problems.
(D) Food habits and food
preferences.
(ii)
Developing and monitoring appropriate plans to address the nutritional needs of
infants and toddlers with disabilities, based on the findings of the
assessments in subparagraph (i).
(iii) Making referrals to appropriate
community resources to carry out nutrition goals.
Occupational therapy-Services to address
the functional needs of an infant or toddler with a disability related to
adaptive development, adaptive behavior and play, and sensory, motor and
postural development, which are designed to improve the functional ability of
the infant or toddler to perform tasks in home, school and community settings,
and include the following:
(i)
Identification, assessment and intervention.
(ii) Adaptation of the environment, and
selection, design, and fabrication of assistive and orthotic devices to
facilitate development and promote the acquisition of functional
skills.
(iii) Prevention or
minimization of the impact of initial or future impairment, delay in
development or loss of functional ability.
Parent-A natural or adoptive parent; a
guardian; a legal custodian, excluding a county children and youth agency; a
person acting as a parent of a child (such as a grandparent or stepparent with
whom the child lives); or a surrogate parent, including a foster parent,
appointed under §
4226.96 (relating to surrogate
parents).
Personally identifiable
information-Information that would make it possible to identify a
particular child or family, including the following:
(i) The name of the child, the child's parent
or other family member.
(ii) The
address of the child or family.
(iii) A personal identifier, such as the
child's or parent's Social Security number.
(iv) A list of personal characteristics or
other information that would make it possible to identify the child or family
with reasonable certainty.
Physical therapy-Services to address the
promotion of sensorimotor function of an infant or toddler with a disability
through enhancement of musculoskeletal status, neurobehavioral organization,
perceptual and motor development, cardiopulmonary status and effective
environmental adaptation, which include the following:
(i) Screening, evaluation and assessment to
identify movement dysfunction.
(ii)
Obtaining, interpreting and integrating information appropriate to program
planning to prevent, alleviate or compensate for movement dysfunction and
related functional problems.
(iii)
Providing individual and group services or treatment to prevent, alleviate or
compensate for movement dysfunction and related functional problems.
Psychological services-Includes the
following:
(i) Administering
psychological and developmental tests and other assessment
procedures.
(ii) Interpreting
assessment results.
(iii) Obtaining,
integrating and interpreting information about child behavior, and child and
family conditions related to learning, mental health and development.
(iv) Planning and managing a program of
psychological services, including psychological counseling for infants and
toddlers with disabilities and their parents, family counseling, consultation
on child development, parent training and education programs.
Qualified-Meeting State-approved or
State-recognized certification, licensing, registration or other comparable
requirements that apply to the area in which the person is providing early
intervention services.
Referral-Oral or written action by an
individual to direct information about a child or the child's family to another
individual or entity, requesting that the receiving individual or entity take
action on behalf of the child and family.
Service coordination-Activities carried
out by a service coordinator in accordance with §
4226.52 (relating to service
coordination activities) to assist and enable a child and the child's family to
benefit from the rights and procedural safeguards and to receive the services
that are authorized under this chapter.
Social work-Includes the
following:
(i) Making home visits to
evaluate the living conditions of an infant or toddler with a disability and
patterns of parent-child interaction.
(ii) Preparing a social or emotional
developmental assessment of an infant or toddler with a disability within the
family context.
(iii) Providing
individual and family or group counseling to the parent and other family
members of an infant or toddler with a disability, and appropriate social
skill-building activities to the infant or toddler and the infant or toddler's
parent.
(iv) Working to address
those problems in the living situation of an infant or toddler with a
disability and the infant or toddler's family (home, community, and any center
where early intervention services are provided) that impede the maximum use of
early intervention services.
(v)
Identifying, mobilizing and coordinating community resources and services to
enable an infant or toddler with a disability and the infant or toddler's
family to receive maximum benefit from early intervention services.
Special instruction-Includes the
following:
(i) Designing the learning
environments and activities that promote the acquisition of skills by an infant
or toddler with a disability in a variety of developmental areas, including
cognitive processes and social interaction.
(ii) Curriculum planning, including the
planned interaction of personnel, materials and time and space, that leads to
achieving the outcomes on the IFSP.
(iii) Providing the family with information,
skills and support related to enhancing the skill development of the infant or
toddler with a disability.
(iv)
Working with the infant or toddler with a disability and family to enhance the
infant or toddler's development.
Speech-language pathology
services-Includes the following:
(i) Identification of communicative or
swallowing disorders and delays in development of communication skills,
including the diagnosis and appraisal of specific disorders and delays in those
skills.
(ii) Referral for medical or
other professional services necessary for the habilitation or rehabilitation of
communicative or swallowing disorders and delays in development of
communication skills.
(iii)
Provision of services for the habilitation, rehabilitation or prevention of
communicative or swallowing disorders and delays in development of
communication skills.
Tracking-A systematic process to monitor
the development of at-risk children to determine whether they have become
eligible for early intervention services under this chapter.
Transportation and related
costs-Includes the expenses incurred in travel (such as mileage or
travel by taxi, common carrier or other means or tolls and parking expenses)
that are necessary to enable an infant or toddler with a disability and the
infant or toddler's family to receive another early intervention
service.
Vision services-Includes the
following:
(i) Evaluation and
assessment of visual functioning, including the diagnosis and appraisal of
specific visual disorders, delays and abilities.
(ii) Referral for medical or other
professional services necessary for the habilitation or rehabilitation of
visual functioning disorders.
(iii)
Communication skills training, orientation and mobility training for all
environments, visual training, independent living skills training and
additional training necessary to activate visual motor
abilities.
