How to Get Early Intervention Therapy for Your Child with Autism

September 22, 2011

Children, Infants/Toddlers, Treatment

Your child has just been diagnosed with autism. You may be scared and wondering what to do next. You may feel like autism is a life sentence. But try not to panic too much. If caught early, your child has an excellent chance of regaining some life skills and proper development. (And even if they aren’t, there’s still a chance of improvement, too.) There are many early intervention programs out there for autism spectrum disorders. Here is what you need to know.

Early intervention programs are mandated by the federal government.

The government provides funding to states to develop these programs. If your child has a developmental disability, they will be eligible for these programs. They vary widely from state to state. Most include a variety of occupational therapy, social skills therapy, speech therapy, behavior therapy and working with the family to show them how to cope. These programs are designed for kids age 0-3 years old. After that, the child goes into the special education program. These programs are always free of charge. Early intervention programs are set up to meet the needs of young kids in five different areas:
  1. physical development
  2. cognitive development
  3. communication
  4. social and emotional development
  5. adaptive development

Developmental Delays in Children with Autism

Developmental delay means a child is not meeting milestones that should be typical for his age; not sitting up, not saying his name, not able to tie shoes, etc. At risk means that the child may be at risk of developing a delay if they don’t get help soon. Some states fund only kids with developmental delays for early intervention; some fund “at risk” kids as well.

Evaluating your Child with Autism

Evaluations are provided at no cost. Ask your doctor how to get connected with the early intervention program in your state. A service provider will conduct an evaluation. He or she will look at your child’s strengths and weaknesses and delays to make a decision about eligibility. The evaluation will cover a wide range of areas, from speech and language skills, physical abilities, hearing and vision, developmental milestones and so on. There may be several different clinicians on hand, each with experience in different areas, to evaluate your child. They will talk to you and your child, and may ask your child to perform certain activities in order to assess them properly. The professionals doing the evaluation may be speech or occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers or psychologists.

Family needs will also be assessed.

This means that as part of the evaluation, the clinicians will try to identify the resources you need as a family, and the primary concerns and needs that you have. They will try to identify programs that can help you with these needs. Other things that may be used in an evaluation:
  • Interviews with family members and caretakers
  • Direct observation
  • Results from past developmental tests
  • Medical and developmental history
  • Doctors’ reports

Individualized Family Service plan (IFSP)

If you are found eligible, you will develop an Individualized Family Service plan, or IFSP, to provide services to your child. Your child’s ISFP must have certain things in it. Here are some of the things that by law the IFSP should include:
  1. The child’s present needs: physical, communica­tion, social emotional and adaptive.
  2. Family information: What are your resources? What are your needs and concerns?
  3. If the services will be one-on-one or in a group
  4. What services will be provided
  5. When the services will be received, and how long each session will be.
  6. Where the services will be provided—home or community. Since services are mandated to take place in natural environments, if there is an exception, an explanation must be included as to why.
  7. What organization is coordinating the services, and who is paying for them
  8. What steps need to be taken to transition the child out of early intervention into special education, when the time comes, if it is needed

What services are included in early intervention?

Depending on your child’s needs, a range of services might be included, such as:
  • Physical or occupational therapy
  • Psychological services
  • Diagnostic medical services
  • Family training and counseling (how to deal with the disability)
  • Instruction on working with the disability
  • Speech therapy and audiology services
  • Social work services
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Assistive technology devices
And whatever else is deemed your child needs to function the best they can with their particular disability

Will I need to pay for early intervention?

This depends on the state. Sometimes, there will be a sliding scale and you will be asked to contribute; sometimes it will be covered. No family, however, will be turned away because they cannot pay for services.

Where else can I look for support?

Many places have parent and family support groups that can guide you through the process and can give you support from people who have been there. There are many ways to find support groups in your area. A great source is to ask other parents who have been down the path you are now on. Certainly start with your primary care physician or pediatrician. They often know where you should turn for advice. For more information on what is or is not covered, see the article Many Health Plans Now Must Cover Autism Symptoms Diagnosis.
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