Nebraska Administrative Code › Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM › Title 480 - HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES › Chapter 1 - EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES COORDINATION › Section 480-1-003 - DEFINITIONS

Current through June 17, 2024
The following definitions apply:
003.01
APPROVED
  COOPERATIVE.
An approved cooperative is an agreement between two
  or more school districts for an Educational Service Unit (ESU) approved by the
  Nebraska Department of Education pursuant to 92 NAC 51 to jointly perform
  special education functions, including receipt of special education
  payments.
003.02
CHILD
  ASSESSMENT.
The ongoing procedures used by qualified personnel to
  identify the child's unique strengths and needs and the early intervention
  services appropriate to meet those needs. Child assessment procedures are
  identified in Nebraska Department of Education regulations at 92 NAC
  52.
003.03
CO-LEAD
  AGENCIES.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and
  the Nebraska Department of Education and any other agencies appointed by the
  Governor responsible for planning, implementation, and administration of the
  federal early intervention service program and the Nebraska Early Intervention
  Act.
003.04
CONSENT.
Consent means that the parent has been
  informed, in the parent's native language, of all information relevant to the
  activity for which consent was requested. The consent form describes the
  activity and lists the early intervention records that will be released and to
  whom they will be released. The parent understands that the granting of consent
  is voluntary and may be revoked at any time. Consent cannot be revoked
  retroactively.
003.05
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES.
Early intervention
  services are defined in 92 NAC 52. Early intervention services are provided
  under public supervision, are selected in collaboration with the parent, and
  are provided at no cost. These services are designed to meet the developmental
  needs of each eligible infant or toddler with disabilities and the needs of the
  family to assist appropriately in the infant's or toddler's development as
  identified by the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) team.
003.06
ELIGIBLE INFANTS AND
  TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES.
Children two years of age or younger
  who are verified for early intervention services. Toddlers who reach age three
  during the school year remain eligible through the end of the school's fiscal
  year.
003.07
ENTITLEMENT.
Benefit(s) of a program granted by law to
  persons who fit within defined eligibility criteria. Entitlement through the
  Nebraska Early Intervention Act includes services coordination and development
  of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
003.08
FAMILY
  ASSESSMENT.
A voluntary interview with family members through the
  use of an assessment tool by qualified personnel to identify the family's
  resources, priorities, and concerns and the supports and services necessary to
  enhance the family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of the family's
  infant or toddler with a disability.
003.09
INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY
  SERVICE PLAN (IFSP).
A written plan for providing early
  intervention services for an eligible infant or toddler and the infant's or
  toddler's family. The plan is developed and implemented in accordance with
  regulations in this chapter and with the Nebraska Department of Education
  regulations at 92 NAC 52.
003.10
INFANT OR TODDLER WITH A DISABILITY.
An individual
  under three years of age who needs early intervention services because the
  individual is experiencing a significant developmental delay in one or more
  areas as defined in Nebraska Department of Education regulations at 92 NAC
  52.
003.11
NATIVE
  LANGUAGE.
When used with respect to an individual who has limited
  English proficiency, native language means the language normally used by that
  individual. For evaluations and assessments for a child, native language is the
  language normally used by the child if determined developmentally appropriate
  for the child by qualified personnel conducting the assessment. When used with
  respect to an individual who is hearing impaired, visually impaired, or for an
  individual with no written language, native language means the mode of
  communication that is normally used by the individual.
003.12
NATURAL
  ENVIRONMENTS.
Settings that are natural or typical for a child of
  the same age who have no disabilities.
003.13
NOTICE.
A
  written statement provided to the parents of an eligible child a reasonable
  time before a public agency or service provider proposes or refuses to initiate
  or change services. This includes identification, evaluation, or placement of
  the child or the provision of appropriate early intervention services to the
  child and the child's family. The statement must contain a description of the
  action, reasons, and an explanation of procedural safeguards. The notice must
  be provided in the native language of the parent or other mode of communication
  used by the parent, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so.
003.14
PARENT.
A
  biological or adoptive parent, an individual acting in the place of a
  biological or adoptive parent, or legal guardian of a child, but does not
  include the state if the child is a ward of the State. A parent includes a
  surrogate parent appointed as provided in 92 NAC 52.
003.15
PERIODIC
  REVIEW.
A review of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
  which must be conducted every six months, or more frequently if conditions
  warrant, or the family requests such a review.
003.16
PLANNING REGION
  TEAM.
An organized group of parents, advocates and representatives
  from school districts, agencies, educational service units, Head Start, and
  other relevant agencies or persons responsible for assisting in the planning
  and implementation of the Nebraska Early Intervention Act in each local
  community or region.
003.17
SCREENING.
Optional procedures and activities adopted
  by the school district or approved cooperative under Nebraska Department of
  Education regulations at 92 NAC 52 to identify, at the earliest possible age,
  infants and toddlers suspected of having a disability and in need of early
  intervention services; and includes the administration of appropriate
  instruments by trained personnel.
003.18
SERVICES
  COORDINATION.
An ongoing flexible, individualized process of
  interaction facilitated by a services coordinator to assist the family of an
  eligible infant or toddler with disabilities within a community to gain access
  to, and coordinate the provision of, early intervention services and coordinate
  the other services identified in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
  that are needed by, or are being provided to, an eligible infant or toddler and
  their family. The services coordinator assists the family to identify and meet
  the family and child's needs through coordination of informal and formal
  supports. This includes activities carried out by a services coordinator to
  assist and enable an eligible child and the child's family to receive the
  rights, procedural safeguards, and services that are authorized to be provided
  under the Early Intervention Program.
003.19
SERVICES COORDINATION
  AGENCY.
An agency identified in each planning region which assumes
  the responsibility to deliver the entitlement of services coordination in the
  region through an agreement or contract with the Department.
003.20
TRANSITION
  PLAN.
Documentation in the Individualized Family Service Plan
  (IFSP) which includes steps for the toddler with a disability and the toddler's
  family to exit from the program; and any transition services that the
  Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) team identifies as needed by that
  toddler and the toddler's family.