Ohio Administrative Code › Title 5123 - Department of Developmental Disabilities › Chapter 5123-10 - Early Intervention Program › Section 5123-10-05 - Early intervention program - developmental specialist certification

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
(A)
								Purpose
This rule establishes minimum
				qualifications through certification standards for persons employed as
				developmental specialists. All persons working in the early intervention
				program as developmental specialists shall hold valid certification in
				accordance with this rule.
(B)
								Definitions
For the purposes of this rule, the
				following definitions apply:
(1)
									"Accredited college or university" means a college or
			 university accredited by a national or regional association recognized by the
			 secretary of the United States department of education or a foreign college or
			 university of comparable standing.
(2)
									"College course"
			 means department-approved instruction of at least two semester hours or three
			 quarter hours of credit provided by an accredited college or
			 university.
(3)
									"Department" means the Ohio department of developmental
			 disabilities.
(4)
									"Developmental specialist" means a professional trained
			 to provide special instruction as part of an individualized family service plan
			 team.
(a)
										A
			 developmental specialist is an early intervention service provider who provides
			 expertise in:
(i)
											Infant and toddler development;
(ii)
											Promotion of an
			 infant's or toddler's acquisition of functional skills across developmental
			 areas, including cognitive processes and social interaction through adaptation
			 of the child's learning environment and activities;
(iii)
											Developing
			 individualized, evidence-based strategies which promote planned interactions
			 and active participation of caregivers, children, materials, and the specific
			 environment that leads to achieving individualized family service plan
			 outcomes; and
(iv)
											Providing parents, other family members, and caregivers
			 with information, skills, and support related to enhancing a child's
			 development.
(b)
										The scope of work for a developmental specialist
			 includes developmental screenings, developmental evaluations and assessments,
			 family assessments, individualized family service plan development and
			 implementation, teaming practices, and the delivery of special instruction in
			 accordance with Chapter 5123-10 of the Administrative Code.
(c)
										A developmental
			 specialist follows the "Code of Ethics of the Division for Early Childhood of
			 the Council for Exceptional Children" (available at
https://www.decdocs.org/member-code-of-ethics
) to guide professional behavior.
(5)
									"Developmental
			 specialist orientation modules" means department-provided web-based training
			 that addresses:
(a)
										Introduction to early intervention
			 services;
(b)
										Mission and key principles of early
			 intervention;
(c)
										Family-centered early intervention
			 practices;
(d)
										Individualized family service plan
			 process;
(e)
										Mandated reporting of suspected child abuse or
			 neglect;
(f)
										Parent rights and procedural safeguards in early
			 intervention;
(g)
										Primary service provider approach to teaming in early
			 intervention;
(h)
										Natural learning environment practices;
(i)
										Assessment
			 practices; and
(j)
										Coaching in early intervention.
(6)
									"Director" means the director of the Ohio department of
			 developmental disabilities or that person's designee.
(7)
									"Early childhood"
			 means birth through age five.
(8)
									"Early
			 intervention service provider" has the same meaning as in rule
			 5123-10-02
			 of the Administrative Code.
(9)
									"Early
			 intervention services" has the same meaning as in rule
			 5123-10-02
			 of the Administrative Code.
(10)
									"Evidence-based
			 practice coach" means a person who:
(a)
										Holds valid five-year developmental specialist
			 certification issued in accordance with this rule or holds valid five-year or
			 ten-year developmental specialist certification or early intervention
			 supervisor certification issued in accordance with rule
			 5123:2-5-05
			 of the Administrative Code as it existed prior to the effective date of this
			 rule; and
(b)
										Has successfully completed department-provided training
			 in evidence-based practice coaching.
(11)
									"Evidence-based
			 practice coaching" means an activity that forms the formal relationship between
			 a person holding one-year developmental specialist certification issued in
			 accordance with paragraph (C)(1)(b) of this rule and an evidence-based practice
			 coach that is designed to foster growth and reflection and increase confidence
			 and competence of the person holding one-year developmental specialist
			 certification. The evidence-based practice coach provides ongoing support to
			 the person holding one-year developmental specialist certification while that
			 person completes college courses or seminars required for five-year
			 developmental specialist certification. A person holding one-year developmental
			 specialist certification shall actively participate in a minimum of twelve
			 months of evidence-based practice coaching which commences within the first six
			 months of employment as a developmental specialist and is provided in
			 accordance with an evidence-based practice coaching agreement.
(12)
									"Evidence-based
			 practice coaching agreement" means a written agreement documented on form EI-19
			 ("Evidence-Based Practice Coaching Agreement," July 2021) developed and signed
			 by a person holding one-year developmental specialist certification and an
			 evidence-based practice coach.
(13)
									"Principles of
			 special instruction" means department-provided training specific to the role of
			 a developmental specialist that:
(a)
										Builds on college courses or seminars required for
			 five-year developmental specialist certification, delivering practical
			 information necessary for providing special instruction and supports related
			 specifically to the cognitive and social-emotional developmental domains as
			 required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
			 20 U.S.C.
			 1431 through 1445 as in effect on the
			 effective date of this rule and 34 C.F.R. part 303 as in effect on the
			 effective date of this rule, and Chapter 5123-10 of the Administrative Code;
			 and
(b)
										Is to be completed by a person holding five-year
			 developmental specialist certification in order to be eligible to renew
			 certification and will count as professional development for that
			 purpose.
(14)
									"Professional development" means training, courses,
			 seminars, or evidence-based practice coaching completed subsequent to the
			 effective date of an applicant's most recent five-year developmental specialist
			 certification that enhance the knowledge, skills, and competencies of
			 developmental specialists and are verified as successfully completed by the
			 department (or, at the department's discretion, by an entity under contract
			 with the department for the purpose of verifying completion of professional
			 development) and may include:
(a)
										Training, courses, or seminars pre-approved by the
			 department that are relevant to the role of a developmental specialist, support
			 and align with evidence-based early intervention practices, and are pertinent
			 to early childhood.
(b)
										As many as ten documented hours of training, courses,
			 or seminars that are not pre-approved by the department, but are submitted by
			 an applicant with written justification explaining how completion of the
			 training, course, or seminar enhanced the applicant's knowledge, skills, and
			 competencies as a developmental specialist.
(c)
										As many as twenty
			 hours spent by an evidence-based practice coach actively participating in
			 evidence-based practice coaching documented on form EI-19 ("Evidence-Based
			 Practice Coaching Agreement," July 2021) and a written log that includes dates
			 and times when evidence-based practice coaching occurred.
(15)
									
			 "Seminar" means department-approved instruction of a minimum of thirty hours.
			 Department approval of seminars will be based on documentation (including a
			 syllabus with identified objectives and method of evaluation) to demonstrate
			 that the instruction is:
(a)
										Provided by a department-approved instructor who holds
			 a master's degree or doctoral degree in early childhood education, special
			 education, or a closely related field and who possesses in-depth knowledge
			 related to the content area of the seminar;
(b)
										Formulated on
			 current evidence-based practices and conforming to part C of the Individuals
			 with Disabilities Education Act,
			 20 U.S.C.
			 1431 through 1445 as in effect on the
			 effective date of this rule and 34 C.F.R. part 303 as in effect on the
			 effective date of this rule, and Chapter 5123-10 of the Administrative
			 Code;
(c)
										Structured in accordance with principles of adult
			 learning; and
(d)
										Based on peer-reviewed literature and
			 research.