N.J. Admin. Code § 8:17-8.3

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 8:17-8.3 - IFSP development, review and evaluation

(a) For a child who has been evaluated for the first time and determined to be eligible for early intervention services, the service coordinator shall conduct a meeting with the IFSP team, as described at 8:17-8.4(a), to develop the initial IFSP within 45 days from the date of referral and shall, as appropriate in accordance with 8:17-8.2, consider an interim IFSP.

(b) The IFSP team shall review the IFSP for a child and the child's family every six months, or more frequently if conditions warrant, or if the family requests such a review.

1. The review may be carried out in the form of a meeting or by another means that is acceptable to the parents and other participants.

2. This review shall determine:

i. The degree to which progress toward achieving the goals and outcomes is being made; and

ii. Whether modification or revision of the goals and outcomes or services is necessary.

(c) The members of the IFSP team established pursuant to 8:17-8.4(a) shall conduct a meeting on at least an annual basis to evaluate, and as appropriate, revise the IFSP for a child and the child's family.

(d) The IFSP team shall use the results of current evaluations and assessments conducted pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:17-6, and other information available from the ongoing assessment of the child and family, in determining what early intervention services the child and child's family are eligible to receive.

1. To be considered current, an evaluation or assessment shall have been conducted within six months of the most recent IFSP review.

(e) The service coordinator shall ensure IFSP meetings are conducted:

1. In settings and at times that are convenient to families; and

2. In the primary language of the family or other mode of communication used by the family, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so, such as if communicating with them in that manner were so prohibitively costly, as to make it unreasonable for the NJEIS to communicate with the family in that fashion.

(f) The service coordinator shall ensure meeting arrangements are made with, and written notice provided to, the family and other participants early enough before the meeting date to ensure that they will be able to attend.

(g) The service coordinator shall ensure the content of the IFSP is fully explained to the parents.

1. The service coordinator shall obtain informed written consent, consistent with 8:17-8.1(c), from parents prior to provision of early intervention services identified in the IFSP through the early intervention system.

2. If parents do not provide consent for a particular early intervention service, or withdraw consent, that service shall not be provided.

3. A child and his or her family shall receive only those early intervention services that the IFSP identifies as needed, subject to the parent's consent to receive those services pursuant to 8:17-4.2 and the parent's agreement to pay for those services in accordance with the family cost share and funding policies at 8:17-9.2.

(h) The service coordinator shall complete the IFSP development process using the IFSP form at Chapter Appendix D, incorporated herein by reference.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:17-8.3