The development of the Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) begins at the first contact with the family and other caregivers. The purpose of gathering information is to learn more about the child's and family's background, interests, strengths, needs, and activities within the family, community, and for some children, early care and education settings (Dunst & Bruder, 1999). During this exchange, the opportunity is given to the family to share their experiences with their child, as well as previous medical, health, or developmental evaluation information, describe their concerns and priorities, and share information about their child's development.
The everyday routines and activities of the child and family are explored during first contacts, including the places in which they occur and the important people who are part of the childÕs life. The information obtained is used to prepare and plan for the evaluation and assessment session(s) and development of the IFSP. In addition, the family receives information about Part C and the family-centered focus of Early Steps, including information about natural environments and the primary service provider approach to service delivery. It is important to gain an understanding of the familyÕs perception of early intervention and discuss any misperceptions.
The process of gathering information should be as conversational and noninvasive as possible. To do this, the person gathering the information should create a climate in which families feel free to talk about their child and family. The types of information gathered must be with the concurrence of the family and should include:
the child's and family's strengths and interests
settings where the child and family live and play (family, community, and child care or preschool settings), and the people who are involved
settings in which the family would like for their child to participate if he or she did not have a developmental disability or delay
the family's concerns and priorities for the child's participation in family and community life, and early care and education settings
the family's need for informational, emotional, and material supports (McWilliam & Scott, 2001)
The person who gathers this information may vary among the various LES service areas. Some LES may use a service coordinator to conduct an initial interview, whereas in other LES the person doing the interview may be a service provider, who has sufficient training in conducting first contacts and is also a member of the team. However, the assigned service coordinator who is an ongoing member of the transdisciplinary team is required to have a conversation with the family prior to the day of the initial evaluation/assessment to gather information to prepare for the evaluation and/or assessment and to provide the family with information about Early Steps, including service delivery topics (e. g., natural environments and the primary service provider approach)
Early Steps requirements and team activities for conducting first contacts are:
conduct first contacts with the family/other primary caregivers, preferably face to face in their typical environment
request that the referred child is present for some part of the first contacts process, if face-to-face
conduct first contacts at times and locations convenient to the family
document the family's concerns and review any available information regarding the child's vision and hearing status, unless the child has a diagnosed hearing or vision impairment
educate the family on the family-centered focus of early intervention, service delivery in natural environments, and the team based primary service provider approach to service delivery
During first contacts, the service coordinator, or other trained team member, also provides verbal and written information about several critical aspects of the family's relationship with Early Steps, including procedural safeguards, the Central Directory, the Family Resource Specialist's availability and contact information, and transition of the child at age three. The service coordinator also obtains written consent for obtaining information on the child and family and utilization of insurance and Medicaid.
