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WarmLine WarmLine
Family Resource CenterFamily Resource Center
Early Start Early Start
Resource GuideResource Guide
A GUIDE TO RESOURCES
FOR CHILDREN BIRTH TO THREE YEARS OLD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN:
SACRAMENTO, PLACER, YOLO, NEVADA,
EL DORADO & ALPINE COUNTIES
2014
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WarmLine Family Resource Center
WarmLine Family Resource Center is a place where families can turn when
they discover their child has special health care or developmental needs. WarmLine is a
non-profit organization dedicated to providing support, information and referral at no charge
to families of infants and children with special needs. WarmLine can help by:
Connecting you with other parents through family activities and to the community to ensure
the inclusion of all children into everyday life,
Informing you about systems and services. We provide trainings to raise awareness of how
to support each child’s unique development.
Empowering you to develop leadership skills and be active participants in your child’s
programs and services. Parents are their child’s best advocates!
WarmLine is an important part of the Early Start program in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo,
El Dorado, Nevada, and Alpine Counties. We are staffed by parents who share the experience
of parenting a child with special needs.
Our services include:
Information and Referral: Linking families with services.
Family Support: Providing peer parent support and support group referrals.
Outreach: Increasing public awareness of disabilities and available services.
Workshops and Seminars: Trainings on systems, services and supporting child development.
Activities: Play groups, family activities, parent socials.
Resource Library: Resources on child/family development and disabilities.
WarmLine Publications: “Early Start Resource Guide”, “Turning Three Years Old” and
others—all available on our website (www.warmlinefrc.org) and most translated into
Spanish.
Website, Bi-weekly Email, Facebook; Keeping families connected to each other and the
community.
Community Resource Parents: Local representatives in each county.
We invite you to visit us at:
www.warmlinefrc.org
Like us on Facebook
Email: [email protected]
Toll Free: 800-660-7995
Spanish: 916-922-1490
Sacramento:
916-922-9276/ Fax: 916-922-9341
Email: [email protected]
Placer County:
916-632-2100 / Fax: 916-632-2103
Email: [email protected]
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Table of Contents
About the Early Start Resource Guide ......................................................... 1
Tips for Parents .......................................................................................... 2
Telephone Tips .......................................................................................... 3
Record Keeping ......................................................................................... 4
How to Use the Internet ............................................................................ 5
Definition of Family/Family Support Principles/
Family Empowerment Strategies ................................................................ 6
Overview of California’s Early Start Services ............................................... 7
Natural Environments ................................................................................ 8
Routine Based Interviews ........................................................................... 9
Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) ......................................................... 11
Transition to Preschool ............................................................................ 13
Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) ................................................ 14
Regional Center Services after Age 3 ........................................................ 14
Health Care/Ways to Work with Your Doctor .......................................... 15
Medical Specialists ................................................................................... 16
Who to Call with A Question................................................................... 16
Dental Care ............................................................................................. 16
Nutrition/Exercise .................................................................................... 17
Importance of Play in Child’s Development ............................................. 19
Child Care/Respite ................................................................................... 21
Financial Concerns ................................................................................... 21
Family Leave ........................................................................................... 21
California Children’s Services (CCS) .......................................................... 22
Child Health and Disability Program (CHDP) ........................................... 22
Medi-Cal ................................................................................................. 22
In-Home Support Services (IHSS) .............................................................. 22
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) .......................................................... 22
Parking Placard ........................................................................................ 22
Utilities .................................................................................................... 23
Legal Rights/Advocacy ............................................................................. 23
Resource Libraries .................................................................................... 23
Technology/Assistive Devices/Equipment .................................................. 23
Support Groups ....................................................................................... 23
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Table of Contents
Diagnosis/Disability Specific Information Groups/Agencies ........................ 24
Child Development Information Groups/Agencies .................................... 24
Advocacy/Family Support Information Groups/Agencies ........................... 25
Health Services Information Groups/Agencies ........................................... 26
Developmental Disability Services Information Groups/Agencies ............... 26
Special Education Information Groups/Agencies ........................................ 26
Sacramento County Resources .................................................................. 27
Placer County Resources........................................................................... 28
Yolo County Resources ............................................................................ 29
El Dorado County Resources ................................................................... 30
Nevada County Resources ........................................................................ 31
Alpine County Resources .......................................................................... 31
Regional Resources................................................................................... 32
Emergency Preparedness for Children with Special Needs ......................... 33
Worksheets/Guides................................................................................... 35
Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) Preparation Guide .......................... 36
IFSP Vision Statement Guide ..................................................................... 37
Preschool Transition Preparation Guide .................................................... 38
Medical Appointment Notes .................................................................... 39
Medication Log ....................................................................................... 40
Personal Information ................................................................................ 41
Mother’s Prenatal History ........................................................................ 42
Child’s Birth History ................................................................................. 42
Child’s Medical History ............................................................................ 43
Family’s Medical History .......................................................................... 45
Child’s Developmental History ................................................................. 45
Acronyms/Glossary .................................................................................. 46
My Child’s Care Team .............................................................................. 51
About “The Early Start Resource Guide”
Formerly The Local Directory , the Early Start Resource Guide has been designed to help parents
and caregivers locate appropriate services for themselves, their children birth to three years old and
families. This Guide can be useful for families whose infant or toddler has a developmental delay and
want information to help meet his or her special needs. The Early Start Resource Guide is specifically
designed for Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, Nevada, El Dorado and Alpine Counties.
Because the Guide will be used by many families, each having different needs, we have included
as many kinds of services as possible. When you call agencies to ask about their services, it is important
to ask about eligibility requirements. These requirements may include:
Nature of your child's needs or disability
Income level (some serve low income families only, others may accept insurance, others
charge a sliding scale fee for service and still others may be free of charge for everyone.)
Residency (where you live)
Your family situation (teen parents, parents with a disability, etc.) as it relates to
eligibility
See the following section on 'Telephone Tips' for further information on contacting agencies.
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness in the Guide. Please call
WarmLine Family Resource Center at 916-922-9276 if you have information that will help make the
next edition better.
Phone numbers are listed under the county name in the phone
number section (counties are arranged in order of population) and
there is an additional listing for regional numbers whenever possible.
Inclusion of a program or resource does not imply endorsement or
recommendation by WarmLine.
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Tips for Parents
1. You and the special people in your life are the most important people to your baby. The professionals
you meet are part of your “support team”. Even if you’re not sure what type of services your baby needs,
let the professionals know what is important to you and your family and what you want to help your
child achieve.
2. If possible, identify one person at each agency or program who can be available to speak with you when
you have questions about your child or the services that are being provided.
3. Each agency or program has an information brochure. Collect the ones that offer services for your child
and write the names of your contact people on them. (It can be helpful to save some of this information
even if you don’t currently need it. Your child and family’s needs will change and services that you don’t
need today may be helpful at a later date.)
4. You may sometimes feel overwhelmed and over-scheduled with multiple therapy appointments. Know
and respect your limits and priorities and what you can and cannot manage. You may need to schedule
some therapy “time-out for yourself, your child and the rest of your family. This is a sign of strength, not
weakness.
5. Occasionally, all parents become stressed with the responsibility of caring for a child with special needs.
If you or any member of your family needs special help in coping with parenting, please contact your
doctor, social worker or service coordinator who can help in finding the best solution. Take care of
yourself and enjoy your child's precious and unique qualities.
Remember…You are the most important person
in your baby’s life!
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Telephone Tips
1. BE PREPARED. Write down your concerns and the reason you’re calling before making the call.
2. HAVE A PEN AND A PAPER with you before making a call. It is a good idea to keep information you
are collecting in a notebook.
3. STATE THE REASON you are calling:
“I’m calling for information about…”
“I would like to make an appointment for…”
“I was told to call your office by (name) from (agency)…”
“I am returning a call from (name)…”
4. FIND OUT IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC PERSON or branch within that agency with whom you should speak.
Write down that person's name and number so that you can contact them directly.
5. HAVE INFORMATION AVAILABLE. The person helping you may need income or insurance information,
names of doctors, health clinics or case managers, social security numbers, etc. Find out what you will need
before you contact the agency again.
6. TAKE BRIEF NOTES of your conversation. If you do not understand what is being said, repeat what you
do understand and ask the person to clear up any confusion or misunderstanding.
7. FOLLOW-UP.
Find out if and when you need to call back.
Let the staff know times and phone number that is best to reach you.
Write down any appointments or other instructions you have been given.
Before visiting an agency, ask about business hours and confirm the address.
8. IF THE AGENCY IS SENDING INFORMATION TO YOU, ask when you should expect to receive it. (To
speed up the process, if you have email, ask the person if the information can be sent electronically.)
9. If you must leave a VOICE MAIL MESSAGE:
Speak slowly (especially when giving your phone number),
Be brief about why you’re calling
Give your phone number at the beginning and end of the message.,
Say when you called.
For example, “This is George Washington. My number is 800-555-1212. I’m calling for information about
having my son, Abraham Lincoln assessed. It is 10:00 on Monday and I can be reached at 800-555-1212
until 5:00. Thank you.”
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Record Keeping
Parents may find out that their baby has special needs at birth (and sometimes before birth), some
babies are kept in the hospital for a time and sometimes developmental delays don’t show up until a child
is a toddler, or older.
Whenever parents learn about their child’s special need, it will be extremely helpful to get in the
habit of keeping records. As you see new doctors, developmental and educational professionals, you will
need to provide the information to those working with your child.
Having a child with a developmental delay or special need and juggling services can feel over-
whelming at times. Most parents who keep their child’s records organized and available say that doing so
gives them a sense of empowerment when dealing with service providers and systems.
(As your child gets older, some of the information that was necessary when he/she was an infant or
toddler will be needed less often. However, it is important to keep the records you have compiled
because they may be useful for obtaining services such as Social Security when he or she becomes an adult.
Also, if a child was medically fragile, adult medical providers may need the information that is contained in
your records.)
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on record keeping systems. A binder which has dividers
works wonderfully. A bonus is that it is portable and can accompany you to appointments.
Examples of Records to Keep
Medical/Dental Records
List of doctors and other medical providers and contact information
Hospital discharge summaries
Initial evaluations by new physicians and therapists (at the first visit, ask to be sent a copy)
Dates and location of tests such as MRIs and important procedures
Vaccination records
Current medication
Allergies
Developmental Records
List of therapists and others who are working with your child and contact information
Developmental milestones
Developmental assessments/evaluations
Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) (see page 10)
Educational Records
Teachers and others who are working with your child and contact information
Educational assessments/evaluations
Individual Education Program (IEP)
Please go to page 35 for worksheets.
If you have questions about record keeping, please call WarmLine Family Resource Center.
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How to Use the Internet
How to perform an internet search:
Log on to a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo (i.e., www.google.com)
If you have a URL (“internet address”, i.e., www.warmlinefrc.org), you can type it in, or…
In the search line, type the information you seek. The more specific the words you type, the more
specific will be the sites that come up, for example, typing “diabetes” will give you many, many sites.
Typing “juvenile diabetes” will limit the information to that subject. (Placing quotation marks around
the words will tell the search engine that you want that information together. Without the quotation
marks around “juvenile diabetes”, the search engine will include sites with just the words juvenile
and diabetes.) You can narrow the search even more if you type exactly the site you are seeking, such as
“WarmLine Family Resource Center”. Search engines can recognize some questions and correctly give you relevant sites, such as “how to
use the internet”.
What can you tell from the URL (“internet address”)?
Every URL is followed by a suffix that tells the type of organization the site is. The most common
suffixes are:
.edu (educational institution)
.org (non-profit organization)
.com (for-profit organization)
.gov (government agency)
.mil (military)
Is the Information Accurate and Useful?
Not everything you read on the internet is true. While the internet is a place to find valuable infor-
mation, there are some questions to ask yourself to establish whether the information is accurate.
Who is the author?
Is there a name of the person who created the information?
Does that person have a credential?
What is the purpose of the website?
Does the site have one… if so what?
Is the site trying to inform, persuade, or sell?
Is it geared to a particular audience?
Is the site objective?
Is the site fact or opinion?
Is the author's point-of-view objective and impartial?
Is there affiliation with an organization? If so is there some bias?
Is the information accurate and current?
Can the information be verified?
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Definition of Family
“Families are big, small, extended, nuclear, multi-generational, with one
parent, two parents, and grandparents. A family can be as temporary as a few
weeks, as permanent as forever. We become part of a family by birth, adoption,
marriage, or from a desire for mutual support... A family is a culture unto itself
with different values and unique ways of realizing its dreams. Together, our
families become the source of our rich cultural heritage and spiritual diversity.
Our families create neighborhoods, communities, states, and nations.”
Family Support Principles
From “Family Support Guidelines for Effective Practice in the Early Intervention Service system for Families of Infants and Toddlers
with Disabilities or at Risk” January, 1994
All children with disabilities will live with a supported and empowered family, fully participating
within their community. Every community will be enriched by the inclusion of people with
diverse abilities
Families are the best experts on what they need and the constant in their child’s life. They can best be
assisted by supporting them as decision makers instead of making decisions for them.
The needs of families change over time. Services and supports should be flexible to accommodate those
individual needs. Information should be available when parents need it and when it is relevant to their
family and child.
Services and supports will best meet the needs of the family by building on the family’s strengths,
respecting cultural preferences, values and unique lifestyles.
Families will benefit from support that promotes the inclusion of people of all ages and their families
in all aspects of community life. Inclusion is a sense of belonging-of being part of a community -valued
and respected as a contributing member.
Family Empowerment Strategies
From “Family Support Guidelines for Effective Practice in the Early Intervention Service system for Families of Infants and Toddlers
with Disabilities or at Risk” January, 1994
Family support services should enhance families’ skills and confidence in utilizing and developing their own
support systems by:
Listening to families
Giving families choices
Assisting families in identifying and accessing both early intervention and individual support systems
(i.e., church, community and extended family)
Build on the family’s strengths and resources
Respect the family’s decisions
Provide training in advocacy skills
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Overview of California’s Early Start/
Early Intervention Services in California
(Excerpted from California Map to Inclusion and Belonging: www.CAinclusion.org)
Early Start seeks to promote and enhance a coordinated, family-focused service system for infants and
toddlers from birth to age three years with a significant developmental delay, a disability or an established risk
condition with a high probability of resulting in a delay or disability.
Early Start:
Provides a system of referral and assessment that results in individualized services and supports for infants
and toddlers and their families within their community,
Is family-focused by keeping families informed about services for their child and supporting families and
including them as collaborative decision makers.
The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is the lead agency for … administration
of Early Start. (In the Sacramento area, the services are primarily provided by Alta California Regional Center
(ACRC). DDS collaborates with the ...Special Education Division of the California Department of Education
for services of some children. (Primarily children with “low incidence” disabilities, which are solely visual,
hearing and/or severe orthopedic impairment.)
Early Start eligibility criteria:
The age (of the child) at the time of the initial referral…
A 33% developmental delay in one developmental area before 24 months of age:
Cognitive development,
Physical and motor development,
Communication development,
Emotional-social development,
Adaptive development.
At 24 months or older, either a delay of 50% in one developmental area or a 33% delay in two or more
developmental areas,
An established condition with a high probability of causing a delay or disability,
(Beginning January 2015) A high risk of having substantial developmental disability due to a combination
of biomedical risk factors.
Early Start Services:
Are designed to meet the individual needs of each infant or toddler and needs of the family,
Are provided in “natural environments”,
Are provided to families by qualified personnel,
Include transition to appropriate services at three years of age.
Early Start Services may Include:
Assistive technology devices/services
Audiology services
Some health services
Nursing services
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Psychological services
Service coordination
Special instruction
Social work services
Transportation services
Speech & language services
Vision services
Medical services for diagnosis & evaluation
Family training, counseling, home visits
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What is a natural environment?
NE:ERRAPP is an acronym used in California Early Start to describe natural environments. It stands for: Every-
day Routines, Relationships, Activities, Places and Partnerships. A natural environment is any place your child
and family live, learn, and play. It includes:
Everyday Routines - such as bathing, eating and playing.
Relationships - such as parents, siblings, relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, or anyone else with whom
your child might interact.
Activities - such as playing, reading, walking and going to the playground. Activities use familiar materials,
which can be anything found in your child’s physical environment— toys, rocks, books, swings, grass,
spoons, a high chair, favorite wagon, etc.
Places - such as your home, backyard, or place of work. Settings also include places such as a child-care
site, relative’s home, park, grocery store, or library.
Partnerships - within the community, such as going to worship, celebrating holidays, taking part in cultural
practices, going to neighborhood stores, and riding in different forms of transportation.
Why are natural environments important?
All young children tend to thrive when they’re in familiar surroundings and with the people and ob-
jects that are most familiar to them. For young children with disabilities, those reassuring surroundings are an
important part of their early intervention services. Natural environments make every moment of your child’s
day an opportunity for learning, developing new skills and inclusion in their community.
Everyday learning opportunities offer challenges for the child to master or learn. Parents and siblings
are present in these natural settings, are part of the child’s learning and can help him or her imitate or copy
the behavior and skills of family and other children. Family preferences and priorities are part of the family’s
typical daily routines. Even frequent sessions in a center‐based program do not begin to fully access the child’s
potential for learning. The success of the child’s intervention lies in utilizing everyday moments and learning
opportunities
Service providers work with families to figure out what is important (priorities) to them, what are
some of their daily struggles (needs) and what are their likes (interests). Using toys and items that are found in
the home, service providers teach the family to use daily routines to support the child’s learning and develop-
ment. Even when the provider is not there, utilizing the child’s natural environment makes it easier the child
to practice new skills. The family learns what is most effective because it happens in the home or other famil-
iar places. This process should be flexible to meet the unique needs of each child and family, including their
preferences, learning styles and cultural beliefs.
What law supports natural environments?
Using natural environments comes straight from Part C of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The law says:
• “Early intervention services must be provided in natural environments, settings in which children without
disabilities participate, to the maximum extent that is appropriate.” (Sec. 303.12)
• “[Natural environments are] those settings that are natural or normal for the child’s age peers who have no
disabilities.” (Sec. 303.18)
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What is the Routines Based Interview?
The Routines Based Interview (RBI) is a process that professionals can use to help plan early inter-
vention services in with families. (It can also be a valuable tool when planning special education services for
children over three years old.) The RBI reveals information about:
The child’s developmental status
The family’s daily life
The feelings of the family members being interviewed
The process follows five steps.
1. Family/Caregivers prepare to report on routines:
Family/Caregivers can prepare for planning meetings by identifying their typical-day routines and
coming prepared to talk about (a) what everyone does, (b) what the child does, and (c) how happy they
are with the routine or how successful the routine is.
What are routines?
Routines are not necessarily things that happen daily. They are simply times of day. It is impossible
for a family to "have no routines." All families wake up, eat, hang out at home, bathe, go places. The RBI
replaces the vague question, "What would you like to work on?" which typically results in an equally vague
answer from parents. It helps parents think about their priorities and the outcomes they would like to see
for their child.
Two powerful things for parents to think about when preparing and interviewers to ask:
When you lie awake at night, worrying, what do you worry about?
If you could change anything in your life, what would it be?
2. The Interview:
The first question the interviewer asks is whether the family has any major concerns. The interviewer
writes these down and then suggests beginning at the start of the parent's day ("How does your day start?").
At each routine, the interviewer asks about six things:
1. What does everyone do at this time? 2. What does the child do? 3. How does the child participate (engagement)? 4. What does the child do by him/her self (independence)? 5. How does the child communicate and get along with others (social relationships)? 6. How satisfied is the caregiver with the routine? To move from one routine to the next, the interviewer simply says, "Then what happens?" or,
"What's next?"
During the family's report of routines, the interviewer takes notes, marking areas of concern or
strength.
If the child is cared for outside the home for significant amounts of time by a relative or child care
provider, that caregiver should also be interviewed in order to get a full picture of the child’s day. The inter-
viewer asks the caregiver about the routines in that environment.
10
3. Interviewer reviews concerns and strength areas:
The interviewer goes through the marked items to refresh the parent's memory.
This method typically yields 6-10 outcomes, some of which are directly to meet parents' needs.
4. Family selects outcomes:
The interviewer asks, "When you think about all these areas of concern and strengths, what would
you like the team to concentrate on? What do you want to go on the plan?" Parents should think about their
needs in addition to their child’s needs.
5. Family puts outcomes into priority order:
The family looks at the list of outcomes and puts them into the order of importance. From this point
onwards, the outcomes will always be listed in priority order. This will be important in support-based home
visits.
Our Family’s Routine
Day Time What Who Is it Working?
Week Day 7:00 am Get Up & Make Breakfast Mom OK
Week Day 7:30 am Get Up & Get Dressed Kids Chaos
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Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) - From Birth to 3 Years Old
What is an IFSP?
The IFSP is a written plan which is the framework for meeting the unique needs of a child and a family.
It is based on your child’s strengths and your family’s concerns and priorities. The IFSP is the foundation of
services that are family centered.
The IFSP is not a final document; it is an ongoing process. Your infant or child’s needs may change
quickly, so your family’s IFSP should be reviewed frequently, at least every six months, and changed as neces-
sary. If you feel your early intervention services need to be reviewed more frequently, contact your service
coordinator to schedule a meeting.
If this is your child’s and family’s first IFSP, the law requires that it be developed within 45 days from
your child’s referral for early intervention services. The meeting should not be held, however, until all of the
necessary assessment information has been gathered. At the meeting, your family’s concerns and priorities, as-
sessment results and available resources will be discussed.
Who attends the IFSP meeting?
You may invite anyone you want to an IFSP meeting. The people you include may be some or all the
team members involved in your child’s assessments or services, or any other person you would like to assist
you in developing your child’s plan including other family members or friends. If you would like to include
people who are unable to attend, they may send written information to be included in the discussion.
Who is the service coordinator?
The service coordinator is the person who is responsible for
coordinating all early intervention services and helping parents to
identify and obtain the services and assistance they need to help their child’s
development. The service coordinator will typically be either from Alta
California Regional Center (ACRC), a Local Education Agency (LEA), or a
local Infant Development Program (IDP).
When and where is the IFSP meeting held?
The meeting must be held at a time and place that is most convenient for all persons involved and
must be within 45 days of initial referral to early intervention services. After that, it is updated every six
months.
How can I prepare?
It will be helpful to spend some time before the meeting thinking about the things you want to tell the
rest of the team about your child. You know your child best!
Think about what your goals for your child for the next six months, the next year and maybe beyond!
This will become your “vision statement” for your child. The vision statement can help you communicate your
hopes and plans for your child. Update it as often as you like and share it with the members of the IFSP team.
A vision statement worksheet can be found on page 37.
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What will my role be? What will I be expected to do?
Other members of the team would like to hear from you about your goals and priorities for your
child and family. You make the decisions about the outcomes, activities, and services you would like in-
cluded in the IFSP.
What will happen after the meeting?
Services will not begin until the IFSP is signed. If you need to take extra time to review the IFSP with
your family before signing, you may do so. You will receive a copy of the IFSP.
The IFSP can be changed as your child’s needs change. Let your service coordinator know if you
think the IFSP needs to be reviewed more frequently than every six months.
Before the meeting is over, be sure you are clear about what the next step will be, as well as what
anyone else will be doing and when. If you have any questions, contact your service coordinator and she/
he will help you get an explanation. Services should start as soon as possible after the IFSP is signed by you.
What the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) Contains
The IFSP states:
1. Your child’s present levels of physical development (including vision, hearing, and health),
cognitive (thinking) development, communication/speech development, social or emotional development,
and adaptive development.
2. What is important to you about your child’s development; your family’s resources, priorities, and
concerns.
3. The major goals that you and the team have agreed on, how and when the following will be
measured:
a. How much progress is being made toward achieving the goals; and,
b. Whether changes in the goals or services are necessary.
4. The specific early intervention services necessary...to progress toward the goals. This will include
how often, where and how the services will be delivered, the natural environments in which the services
will be provided, and the payment arrangements, if any. (The natural environment means settings that are
“natural” or “typical” for the child’s age peers who have no disability. It includes the home and community
settings in which children without delays or disabilities participate. )
5. Other services — medical and other services that your child needs, but that are not required un-
der Early Start, and the funding sources to be used in paying for those services.
6. The dates for the start of the services as soon as possible after the IFSP is signed and the anticipat-
ed duration of services.
7. The name of the service coordinator who will be responsible for making sure the IFSP is followed
and coordination with other agencies and persons.
8. The steps to be taken to support your child’s transition to preschool at age 36 months and the
transition process.
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Transition to Preschool
As your child approaches three years old you will prepare to leave the early intervention
program and transition to a preschool program. This transition is very exciting – knowing that your child
is growing and changing and that you have helped him or her get off to a good start by participating in
an Early Start program. It will help you plan for transition if you understand how the process works and
the differences between infant and preschool programs.
By the time your child is 30 months old, your service coordinator will notify you and your school
district that transition planning is beginning. By 33 months of age you (and anyone else you choose to
invite), your service coordinator and a staff person from the school district will meet to start planning the
transition. This is an opportunity to share your child’s abilities and strengths and to voice your concerns
and expectations about his or her current and future educational needs. The representative from the
school district will ask you to sign consent forms for any needed assessments.
By the age of 36 months the law requires that an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting be
held to determine if your child qualifies for special education services and if so, develop goals in the areas
where your child has identified needs.
Unlike infant programs that are based on developmental and therapeutic goals and are
delivered in natural environments, preschool programs are based on an educational model. Children go
to a classroom and instruction is primarily in groups. Designated Instructional Services (DIS) may also be
provided to your child as determined by the IEP team and may include deaf and hard of hearing services,
speech/language therapy, transportation, vision and orientation/mobility services, occupational/physical
therapy services and extended school year (summer school). They may be provided in addition to a pre-
school program. You may choose to have your child participate only in DIS programs.
There are several options for preschool programs. Some of these programs have income
requirements and, in the case of private preschools, your child may have to be transported to a
public school site in order to receive special education services. You should discuss what services your
child needs and what options are available with your service coordinator and the school district repre-
sentative – you should be able to visit any placement program recommended before you agree that your
child will attend. Community preschools, parent participation preschool, school district funded general
education and special education (special day classes) and Head Start are among the potential preschool
options.
Remember that nothing in the IEP is “written in stone”. If, after a few weeks you think that your
child’s program and/or services need to be revised, you may call an IEP meeting and discuss with the team
any changes that are needed .
WarmLine has created a booklet, “Turning Three Years Old”, available in both English and Span-
ish, which explains the process in detail and contains worksheets to help you plan you child’s preschool
needs. The booklet is available from WarmLine Family Resource Center and is also on WarmLine’s web-
site at www.warmlinefrc.org. WarmLine staff are happy to answer your questions and guide you through
your child’s transition to preschool services.
Please go to page38 for a preschool transition worksheet.
14
Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
Special education and related services such as speech therapy, etc., are coordinated by the Special Edu-
cation Local Plan Area (SELPA) and Local Education Agency (LEA) (school district) for children 3-22 years old
with disabilities. (For some children, the SELPA also provides services from 0-3 years old.)
Under California’s Early Start Program, the Regional Center and SELPA share the responsibility for
developing and coordinating transition to preschool for children who are turning three and who qualify for
special education services. Your SELPA can provide information about special education services available in
your school district.
A SELPA can consist of only one, large school district (a “single-district” SELPA), several school districts
(a “multi-district” SELPA).
Every SELPA has a group called the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) which is made up primari-
ly of parents of children with special needs. The CAC advises the Special Education Department and provides
training and information to parents of children who receive Special Education services. Your SELPA can give
you information about when the CAC meets. In addition to learning more about Special Education, partici-
pating in your CAC will also give you the opportunity to meet other parents. For more information on
CACs, please contact WarmLine.
WarmLine can answer your questions about special education services and has a booklet on the web-
site called “Understanding Special Education”. The booklet is also available from WarmLine’s offices.
Regional Center Services After Age 3
Some children will continue to be eligible for Regional Center (Alta) services after they turn 3 years
old. The criteria for eligibility are diagnosis of:
Intellectual Disability
Cerebral palsy
Epilepsy
Autism
“Other handicapping condition found to be closely related to intellectual disability or to require treat-
ment similar to that required to intellectually disabled individuals...can be expected to continue indefinite-
ly and constitute a substantial handicap with results in major impairment of cognitive and/or social
functioning.”
If your child will be eligible for Regional Center services past age 3, he or she will be assigned a new
service coordinator from the Children’s Unit and an Individual Program Plan (IPP) will be written. The IPP
states what services the Regional Center will provide once the transition from Early Start has taken place. For
more information on the IPP, please talk with your service coordinator or contact WarmLine.
“While we try to teach our children about life, our children teach us
what life is all about.”
Angela Schmidt
15
Health Care
It will be helpful to discuss your baby's home medical needs while your baby is still hospitalized.
While still in the hospital, you can talk with your baby’s doctor, the hospital discharge planner or the hospi-
tal social worker to help you find outside medical care resources such as Medi-Cal or California Children’s
Services (CCS).
If you do not yet have a pediatrician, ask the doctor, discharge planner or social worker to help you
find one who is familiar with your child’s diagnosis and who accepts the type of insurance that your baby
has. Another good way to find a doctor is to ask other parents for recommendations.
Ways To Work With Your Doctor
Select a doctor with whom you feel comfortable. You’ll be working together.
Be assertive about asking for what your child needs.
If you don’t understand what the doctor has told you, ask for clarification. It may be helpful
for you to ask the doctor’s nurse to be in the room when the doctor discusses findings with
you, and to summarize what you’ve been told.
Write down your questions and take them with you to your child's appointment. Write
down the answers and keep them with your baby’s medical information.
You may want to have another person with you for appointments to take notes and help
you remember what was discussed.
Give honest and direct answers and expect the same. Have confidence in your own
observations and opinions.
Don't hesitate to seek a second opinion if you feel you need more information.
Ask “What is my child’s diagnosis?” Will the condition get worse, better or stay the same?
Will the diagnosis affect your child’s development?
Should you see other specialists?
Ask for and keep copies of medical records and reports in a notebook. The Center for Chil-
dren with Special Health Care Needs has a care notebook at www.cshcn.org/planning-record
-keeping/care-notebook. (Having copies of reports is especially important because federal
health care privacy laws can make it time-consuming for agencies to get copies of medical
records from providers. If you already have copies, you can provide them whenever they
are needed.)
A reminder about medical records: When children are young, especial-
ly if they have complex medical needs, it’s important to maintain records that
include procedures and tests that were performed and their dates. That infor-
mation will also be needed by adult medical providers and when applying for
programs such as Social Security Income (SSI) when the child becomes an adult.
See page 41 for medical history worksheets.
16
Medical Specialists
Some common medical specialists involved with an infant with special medical needs:
Pediatrician or family practice doctor - a doctor who is responsible for well-child care. He or she can
provide your child's routine health care, refer you to specialists and monitor your child's development.
Pulmonologist - a doctor who specializes in lung problems.
Neurologist - a doctor who specializes in the child's nervous system and brain development.
Ophthalmologist - a doctor who diagnoses and treats eye and vision problems.
Cardiologist - a heart specialist.
Gastroenterologist - a doctor who specializes in the digestive system.
Orthopedist - a doctor who monitors bone growth and development.
Other specialists who are not physicians such as an audiologist for hearing, speech therapist for speech
development or nutritionist for diet and feeding problems may be involved with your child, Your baby may
need a physical therapist (PT) or occupational therapist (OT) to help with his/her movement and mobility
development. These specialists work on referral from your doctor or early intervention program.
With All These Specialists, Who Do You Call When You Have A Question ?
This is an important question to ask the hospital doctor before your baby is discharged.
When you visit your pediatrician or family doctor after your baby is first discharged from the hospital
or first diagnosed with a special health care need, discuss the medical specialists your baby will be seeing and
ask who should be consulted under what circumstances.
If you are ever not sure who to call, you should first call your primary pediatrician or family doctor.
He or she can then refer you to the appropriate specialist. Keep the numbers of all of your baby’s doctors
handy so you don’t have to spend time looking them up.
In an emergency, always call 911.
Dental Care
Children typically have all of their “baby teeth” by age two. Your child should visit a dentist within
six months of the first tooth erupting, by age one or when your pediatrician recommends.
Finding a dentist for your child with special needs can be challenging. A dentist who take patients
with special needs may not take your dental insurance. To find a dentist for your child, ask your pediatrician
or other medical specialist(s) for recommendations. You may also talk with friends and ask them if they rec-
ommend their child’s dentist. If your child has services through Alta, you can also ask your service coordina-
tor for names of dentists who might be available to care for your child.
Although WarmLine does not endorse or recommend providers, we do maintain a list of dentists who
have had experience with children with special needs.
17
Nutrition
If you have questions or concerns about your baby’s weight gain,
nutritional status or health, always contact your pediatrician.
The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program provides nutrition education
and food vouchers for women and children who are income-eligible, including those with special nutritional
needs such as PKU, diabetes, and other conditions that may result in a disability or place the mother and/or
child at high risk for a disability. The Le Leche League provides support and information on nursing
techniques. Phone numbers are listed by county in the back of this booklet.
Nutrition & Exercise - Tips for Parents & Caregivers
One important way to help prevent obesity and overweight in children is to teach healthy eating
habits and provide opportunities for physical activity from an early age. As children grow, their needs vary.
These are general guidelines. Consult your baby’s pediatrician for specific feeding instructions.
First Year Foods and Feeding
Breastfeed. Breast milk is the healthiest food you can give your baby. It also reduces the risk of childhood
obesity.
Delay solids. Babies are often ready to experiment with solid food by 4 months of age, but nutrition ex-
perts recommend waiting until 6 months.
Watch the mealtime signals. Back off from feeding if your baby purses his or her lips, turns away or ap-
pears to lose interest in the food you are offering. Help a baby learn to listen to his or her body's cues.
Likewise, never force your baby to finish a bottle.
Offer a variety of baby foods. Take advantage of all the flavors out there, especially in fruits and vegeta-
bles.
Tips for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Make fruits and vegetables a priority. Nutritionists recommend that toddlers eat five or more servings of
fruits and vegetables every day. Try to include at least one with every meal, including snack time.
Keep portion sizes small. Toddlers don't require many calories, so it's important to serve age-appropriate
servings. The general rule of thumb is one tablespoon of each food for each year of age.
Stick to a regular meal schedule. Toddlers as young as 1 year old should eat three meals and just two
snacks daily, three to four hours apart. Offer a variety of foods. Offer healthy food choices. Children may need to be exposed to a new food
more than once before accepting it.
18
A Family Affair
The best way to keep children healthy is to make a healthy lifestyle a family affair. If everyone in the
family makes a decision to follow a healthier lifestyle, children will naturally do the same.
Here are some things you can do to get children and the entire family on the path to better health.
Nutrition Tips:
Keep fresh fruits and vegetables on-hand.
Remove from your household all chips, soda and candy bars. They're okay as a special treat but they
should not be a regular staple in your food cabinet.
Avoid fried foods.
Make healthy meals in large quantities and freeze for a later
time. This way, when you're too busy to cook, you can just defrost a healthy meal and have dinner ready in no time.
Always eat breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day,
not just for children but for the entire family.
Parents and children should eat when they're hungry—not out of boredom.
Physical Activity Tips:
Making smart food choices are just one way to help your child maintain a healthy weight. Getting
children into the habit of being physically active early on is also important.
Allow lots of time for active play and plenty of room for your baby to move around so he or she can
practice rolling and crawling skills. Let toddlers walk instead of ride in strollers whenever possible. Use push
and pull toys. Dance to music, play follow-the-leader and take make believe walks through the snow, in the
jungle or other adventurous places.
Get them outside. Encourage your child to play outside. He or she can play tag, ride a tricycle or throw a
ball. Plan a trip to a local park or playground. Walk the dog, work in the garden, wash the car or just take a
walk. These activities help your child burn calories.
Be active as a family. Limit amount of time your children spend watching TV or playing on computers or video games. Children
should not watch more than two hours of TV a day.
Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them,
who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best
that they can possibly be.”
Rita Pierson
19
The Importance of Play in Child Development
There’s a lot happening during playtime. Little ones are lifting, dropping, looking, pouring, bounc-
ing, hiding, building, knocking down, and more. Children are busy when they’re playing. And, more than
that, they are learning. They are learning key scientific concepts, such as what sinks and floats; mathematical
concepts, including how to balance blocks to build a tower; and literacy skills, such as trying out new vo-
cabulary or storytelling skills as children “act out” different roles. Play is the true work of childhood.
When your children play with you, they are also learning—that they are loved and important and
that they are fun to be around. These social-emotional skills give them the self-esteem and self-confidence
they need to continue building loving and supportive relationships all their lives.
Tips for Playing with Your Infant or Toddler
From “Zero to Three” http://www.zerotothree.org/
Look for ways to adapt play activities to meet your child's needs
You may be a parent, relative, or caregiver of a child that has special needs. A physical, mental, or
social disability can pose the occasional challenge to play time. Still, all children learn through play and any
play activity can be adapted to meet a child’s unique needs. The guidelines below can help you think about
how to make playtime enjoyable and appropriate to your child’s skills, preferences, and abilities:
Think about the environment. How do variables like sound or light affect your child? What is the back-
ground noise like in your play area? Is there a television or radio on? Are there many other kids around? If
your child seems distressed during playtime, and you’ve tried everything else, move to a quieter, less stimu-
lating area to play.
How does your child respond to new things? Some infants and toddlers, particularly if they have a spe-
cial need, are easily over-stimulated, while others enjoy a lot of activity. Try starting playtime slowly, with
one toy or object, and gradually add others. See what kind of reactions you get. Are there smiles when a
stuffed bear is touched and hugged? Does your child seem startled by the loud noises coming from the toy
fire engine?
How does your child react to different textures, smells, and tastes? For example, some objects may be
particularly enjoyable for your little one to touch and hold. Others may "feel funny" to them. Read your
child’s signals and modify the play experience accordingly.
Playtime is special. Not only is it fun, but it is critical to children's development. Play is their "work" and
their way of learning about the world around them. Through play, babies and toddlers try out new skills,
explore their imagination and creativity, and learn about relationships with other people.
Any activity can be playful to young children, whether it’s
rolling trucks back and forth or sorting socks. And any type of
play can offer multiple opportunities to learn and practice new
skills:
As a parent, you are your child's very first and favorite
playmate. From the very beginning of your child's life, he is play-
ing with you, whether he is watching your face as you feed him
or listening to your voice as you sing to him during his diaper
change. He is at work, learning and exploring.
20
What can you do to make the most of your child's playtime? Check out these tips.
Follow your child's lead
Provide an object, toy, or activity for your baby or toddler and then see what he does with it. It's
okay if it's not the "right" way...let him show you a "new way."
Go slowly
It's great to show your child how a toy works, but try to hold off on "doing it for him" every
time. You can begin something, such as stacking one block on another, and then encourage him to give it
a try. Providing just enough help to keep frustration at bay motivates your child to learn new skills.
Read your child's signals
Your little one may not be able to tell you using words when he's had enough or when he's frus-
trated. But he has other ways—like using his sounds, facial expressions, and gestures. Reading the signals
that precede a tantrum help you know when to jump in or change to a new activity. Reading his signals
can also tell you what activities your child prefers.
Look at your play space
Is the area child-friendly and child-safe? Is there too much noise or other
distractions? Is the area safe to explore? Is this a good place for the activity
you've chosen, such as running, throwing balls, or painting? Checking out your
space beforehand can prevent a tantrum, an accident, or a broken lamp.
Play it again, Sam
While this desire to do things over and over again is not necessarily thrilling for moms and dads, it
is for their young children. They are practicing in order to master a challenge. And when they can do it
“All by myself!” they are rewarded with a powerful sense of their own competency—a confidence that
they are smart and successful people. The more they practice and master new skills, the more likely they
are to take on new challenges and the learning continues. So when you’re tempted to hide that toy that
you don’t think you can stand playing with yet one more time, remember the essential role repetition
plays in your child’s development.
21
Phone numbers for the following programs are listed by
county and region in the phone number section of this booklet.
Child Care / Respite
Finding child care for a child with special health care or developmental needs can be challenging.
Parents are sometimes faced with providers who are willing, but who have not had previous experience
taking care of children with special needs and who are nervous about what might be expected of them.
Your local child care referral agency has lists of licensed day care homes and center providers with
experience and/or interest in caring for children with special needs. The child care referral agency will ask
you a few basic questions about your child’s needs and what things you are looking for in a child care
setting. The key to this process is to be open about your child’s (and your) needs.
For information about inclusive child care, what to look for in a child care setting and tips on how
to more effectively communicate with your child care provider, please call WarmLine.
Respite care is short-term care that may be provided to families of children who are clients of the
Alta California Regional Center and who qualify. Your child’s Alta service coordinator can let you know
if your child qualifies for respite services and how to access those services.
Some children with special health care needs will also qualify for in-home nursing care. Ask your
Alta service coordinator or nurse case manager if your child qualifies for in-home nursing services.
Financial Concerns
Finances are often a worry for families of children with special health care or developmental
needs. In California, there are agencies that assist families with funding for medical services and others
which can provide help with other financial concerns.
Speak with your hospital social worker, patient representative or your doctor about applying for
any of the programs that may be appropriate for your family. You can also speak with your Alta service
coordinator or call WarmLine for more information.
Family Leave
Both the State of California and the federal government offer programs that allow a parent to
take up to six weeks (paid or unpaid) time off of work to care for a family member who has a serious
medical condition. Each has different requirements, so it is advisable to investigate both programs.
22
Financial Concerns
Finances are often a worry for families of children with special health care or developmental
needs. In California, there are agencies that assist families with funding for medical services and others
which can provide help with other financial concerns.
Speak with your hospital social worker, patient representative or your doctor about applying
for any of the programs that may be appropriate for your family. You can also speak with your Alta
service coordinator or call WarmLine for more information.
California Children Services (CCS)
CCS is a statewide program for specialized medical care and rehabilitation for children who
have a medically eligible diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is established, families must meet income
guidelines to qualify for assistance; however, occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) are
not income dependent. CCS funding is also available to families who have some types of insurance or
Medi-Cal. Your doctor or hospital may already have referred your baby to CCS. If not, you may call
one of the telephone numbers listed below for more information.
Child Health and Disability Program (CHDP)
CHDP provides complete health and dental assessments for early detection and prevention of
diseases and disabilities in children and youth (including school entry exams, sports physicals and im-
munizations). CHDP serves Medi-Cal eligible children birth through 20 years and children from birth
through 18 years whose families are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Healthy Families
Healthy Families provides health and dental care for low-income children under the age of 19
whose families have incomes above the eligibility for Medi-Cal. The program does have an immigra-
tion status requirement. Children who are enrolled in Medi-Cal or have employer-sponsored cover-
age do not qualify.
Call 800-880-5305 for more information or to apply. Download an application packet at
www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov
Family Leave
Both the State of California and the federal government offer programs that allow a parent to
take up to six weeks (paid or unpaid) time off of work to care for a family member who has a serious
medical condition. Each has different requirements, so it is advisable to investigate both programs.
Contact:
• California Employment Development Department: 877-238-4373 or www.edd.ca.gov
• US Dept. of Labor: www.dol.gov
• Labor Project for Working Families: www.paidfamilyleave.org
California Children’s Services (CCS)
CCS is a statewide program for specialized medical care and rehabilitation for children who have a
medically eligible diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is established, families must meet income guidelines to qualify
for assistance; however, occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) are not income dependent. CCS
funding is also available to families who have some types of insurance or Medi-Cal. Your doctor or hospital
may already have referred your baby to CCS.
Child Health and Disability Program (CHDP)
CHDP provides complete health and dental assessments for early detection and prevention of diseases
and disabilities in children and youth (including school entry exams, sports physicals and immunizations).
CHDP serves Medi-Cal eligible children birth through 20 years and children from birth through 18 years
whose families are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Medi-Cal
If your family's income is within certain guidelines, your child may be eligible for Medi-Cal. This
provides financial assistance for regular check-ups and special medical care. You may be eligible for both Medi
-Cal and CCS. Your hospital or CCS representative can help you apply.
In-Home Support Services (IHSS)
Children who require extra help for their care at home may be eligible for IHSS. This is funding given
to your family to supplement your income if you are caring for your baby full-time and it may be used to hire
a part-time caregiver. There are income qualifications.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
If your baby has a disability that will last more than one year, he or she may qualify for Supplemental
Security Income (SSI). If your baby is found eligible you may receive financial support. The amount is
dependent upon family income. If your family qualifies, your baby can also receive MediCal under SSI.
Parking Placard
A person can qualify for a parking placard if certain medical and/or mobility conditions exist. Your
baby, who requires extra equipment such as oxygen may qualify for a parking (“disabled”) placard.
To Apply for a Disabled Placard or License Plate:
• Download and print a copy of the “Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates” from
www.dmv.ca.gov
• Have a doctor sign the disability certification.
• Mail the completed application to the address indicated on the form. For a temporary placard, Include a $6
fee. Permanent placards and license plates are free.
• Or, make an appointment at a local DMV office 800-777-0133 to deliver the application in person.
• The placard or plates will be received within three weeks after the DMV receives the application.
23
Utilities
Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Medical Baseline Program provides additional quantities of
energy at the lowest (baseline) price to residential customers with certain medical conditions. Customers depend-
ent on life-support equipment and those with special heating or cooling needs may be eligible to receive a stand-
ard medical baseline rate.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) also has a medical equipment discount rate.
Legal Rights / Advocacy
There may be a time when you and the service providers disagree on the best program or service for your
child. Sometimes you may need help convincing agencies that your child needs special equipment or assistance. At
times like these, it might be helpful to learn more about your child’s legal rights to services. There are
organizations that are available to provide information, consult with you about your needs and may help you to
advocate for your child.
Resource Libraries
As parents of children with special challenges, there is enormous value in having information, technical
knowledge and support. Resource libraries feature a variety of resources. Materials are also located in county
libraries and many support groups have their own resource libraries.
Technology / Assistive Devices / Equipment
Technology can make a big difference for people with disabilities, enhancing their active participation in
their communities. Adaptive or assistive technology is described in Federal Legislation as: "...any item, piece of
equipment, or product system whether acquired off the shelf, modified or customized that is used to increase,
maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." Your child's Individual Family Service
Plan (IFSP) must include a statement on the benefits of any recommended assistive device or service. There are
groups specializing in assistive technology. Discuss with your service coordinator whether your child would bene-
fit from assistive technology.
Peer Support Groups
Many parents of children with special needs are seeking the same resources you are and want to meet
other parents to exchange information and ideas.
Parents often look for a support group that is centered exclusively on their child’s diagnosis; for example,
autism, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. It may be difficult to find a support group focused solely on one diag-
nosis. Because support comes from the people in the group, rather than the diagnosis of their child, you are en-
couraged to be open to general (diagnosis) groups, which may be more available.
Support group information changes frequently. Please call WarmLine Family Resource Center or go to
www.warmlinefrc.org. for more information. Support groups are listed by county for your convenience, but
most welcome parents regardless of where they live.
Because not everyone is looking for support in a “group” setting, WarmLine offers family and couples ac-
tivities where parents have the opportunity to connect with others who also have a child with special needs.
There are also numerous adaptive recreation programs for older children where parents can meet. You can find
more information on WarmLine’s website.
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Agency Diagnosis/Condition Website Phone Number
Family Village Links to sites that address many specific diagnoses
www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
C.H.A.D.D. ADD/ADHD www.chaddnorcal.org 800-233-4050
Mothers of Asthmatics Asthma www.aanma.org/ 800-878-4403
America Lung Assn. Asthma/Lung Disease www.lungusa.org
Autism Speaks Autism www.autismspeaks.org 888-288-4762 (Sp: 888-772-9050)
Families for Early Autism Treatment Autism www.feat.org 916-303-7405
Association of Birth Defect Children
Birth Defects www.birthdefects.org 407-895-0802
American Cancer Society Cancer www.cancer.org (Sp) 916-446-7933
John Tracy Clinic for Preschool Deaf Children
Deaf www.johntracyclinic.org (Sp)
213-748-5481
NorCal Center for Deafness Deaf www.norcalcenter.org 916-349-7500 Vp: 916-993-3048
Down Syndrome Information Alliance (DSIA)
Down Syndrome www.downsyndromeinfo.org 916-658-1686
Genetic Alliance Genetic Disorders www.geneticalliance.org (Sp) 202-966-5557
Kids with Heart Heart Disorders/Disease www.kidswithheart.org 800-538-5390
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes www.jdrfnorcal.org 916-920-0790
March of Dimes Prematurity, Birth Defects www.marchofdimes.com 916-922-1913
MIND Institute (UC Davis) Neurodevelopmental Disorders www.mindinstitute.org 888-883-0961
916-703-0280
Nat’l Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
Neurological Diseases www.ninds.nih.gov 800-352-9424
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
Rare Disorders www.rarediseases.org 800-999-6673
Diagnosis/Disability Specific Information (Alphabetical by Diagnosis/Condition)
Child Development Information
Agency Description Website
First 5 California Services and support are designed to ensure that more children are born healthy and reach their full potential. Serves children prenatal—6 years old.
www.ccfc.ca.gov/
California Collaborative on the Social & Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CCSEFEL)
Children with disabilities and other special needs will have full access to quality inclusive child care.
http://cainclusion.org/camap/cacsefel.html
Zero to Three Mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.
www.zerotothree.org/
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Agency Description Website Phone Number
Area Board 3 Advocates on behalf of people with devel-opmental disabilities in Calif.
www.Areaboard3.org 916-263-3085
Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Improves & promotes the health & well-being of children with special health care needs & their families.
www.cshcn.org
Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Collaborate with individuals with develop-mental disabilities and their families to im-prove quality of life and community inclu-sion.
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ddcenter/
916-703-0235
Center for Parent Information and Resources
Info. on disabilities in infants, toddlers, chil-dren, and youth, IDEA, No Child Left Be-hind (as it relates to children with disabili-ties), and more.
www.parentcenterhub.org
Circle of Inclusion Supports inclusion of children with
special needs.
www.circleofinclusion.org (Sp.)
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Parent Training & Info. Ctr. for Yolo Co. www.dredf.org 800-348-4232 / 510-644-2555
Disability Rights California
Advocates, advances the rights of
Californians with disabilities.
www.disabilityrightsca.org/ 916-504-5800
Family Village Site for children and adults with disabilities & their families.
www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
Family Voices of California
Family advocacy group focusing on health care related issues.
www.familyvoicesofca.org/
Fathers Network Supports fathers of children with special needs.
www.fathersnetwork.org (Sp.)
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Grants wishes to children w/ life threatening medical conditions.
www.wish.org (Sp) 916-437-0206
Rowell Family Empowerment Ctr.
Parent Training & Information Center for
No. Ca. (WarmLine counties: Sac., Placer,
El Dorado, Nevada and Alpine.)
www.rfenc.org 877-227-3471
Sibling Support Project
Supports the life-long concerns of siblings
of people w/ disabilities.
www.siblingsupport.org
WarmLine Family Resource Center
Support & resources for families of children
with special needs in Sacramento, Placer,
Yolo, El Dorado, Nevada and Alpine Coun-
ties
www.warmlinefrc.org Sacramento: 916-922-9276 / 800-660-7995 Placer County; 916-632-2100
Agencies and Groups Helpful for Parents of Children
with Special Healthcare & Developmental Needs
“(SP)” indicates that the website is also available in Spanish
Advocacy/Family Support/General Information
26
Agency Description Website Phone Number
California Children’s Services (CCS)
Health care for children who qualify and
who have an eligible diagnosis.
www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/ccs/Pages/default.aspx
See county listings
My Friends Pediatric Day Healthcare Ctr.
Respite care for medically fragile children up to age 21.
www.myfriendsonline.org 916-987-8632
Nat’l Ctr. for Medical Home Implementation
“Care Notebook” http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/for_families/care_notebook/
Shriners Hospitals Free medical care for children up to 18
years who have orthopedic diagnoses,
spinal cord injuries, limb deficiencies,
burns or who require plastic surgery.
www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/NorthernCalifornia
916-453-2000
Health Services Information
Developmental Disability Services Information
Agency Description Website Phone Number
Alta California Regional Center (ACRC)
Serves people with developmental
disabilities and their families.
www.altaregional.org 916-978-6400
California Department of Devel-opmental Services (DDS)
Serves people with developmental
disabilities and their families.
www.dds.ca.gov 916-654-1690 / 800-515-2229
Center for Excellence in Devel-opmental Disabilities
Collaborate with individuals with devel-opmental disabilities and their families to improve quality of life and communi-ty inclusion.
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ddcenter/
916-703-0235
Easter Seals Developmental services, employment training, adult day programs and warm water therapy.
www.superiorca.easter-seals.org
916-485-6711
Special Education Information
Agency Description Website Phone Number
California Department of Education, Special Education Division
State agency which oversees both general and special education programs.
www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ 916-319-0800 (Procedural Safeguards: 800-926-0648)
Center for Parent Information and Resources
Info. on disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth, IDEA, No Child Left Behind (as it re-lates to children with disabilities), and more.
www.parentcenterhub.org
Disability Rights California
Advocates and advances the rights of Californi-
ans with disabilities.
www.disabilityrightsca.org/ 916-504-5800
Rowell Family Empowerment Ctr.
Parent Training & Information Center for No. Ca.
(WarmLine counties: Sac., Placer, El Dorado,
Nevada and Alpine.)
www.rfenc.org 877-227-3471
Wright's Law Info. about special education law and advocacy
for children with disabilities.
www.wrightslaw.com/
27
County Listing of Resources (Counties are listed in order of population.)
Sacramento County
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center .................................. 916-978-6400 WarmLine Family Resource Center ....916-922-9276/800-660-7995
Infant & Child Development
Early Head Start / Head Start, SETA ......................... 916-263-3804 Sacramento County Office Of Education
Infant Development Program ............................. 916-277-5900
Education (over 3 years) Elk Grove Unified School District Special Education Local Plan Area .................... 916-686-7780 Folsom-Cordova Unified School District Special Education Local Plan Area ..................... 916-635-2802 Sacramento City Unified School District Special Education Local Plan Area .................... 916-643-9163 Sacramento County Office of Education Special Education Local Plan Area ..................... 916-228-2446 San Juan Unified School District Special Education Local Plan Area .................... 916-971-7953
Play /Activities / Recreation / Early Literacy
Birth & Beyond
Folsom/Cordova Family Resource Ctr. .................. 916-244-8684 Zip codes served: 95630, 95655, 95670, 95742, 95826, 95827,95830 La Familia Counseling Ctr. ...................................... 916-452-3601 Zip codes served: 95632, 95655, 95814, 95817, 95820, 95822, 95824, 95827 River Oak Family Resource Ctr............................... 916-244-5800 ..... Zip codes served: 95811, 95814, 95816, 95817, 95818, 95819, 95820 North Sacramento Family Resource Ctr ................ 916-679-3743 .................. Zip codes served: 95815, 95821, 95825, 95833, 95834 Valley Hi Family Resource Ctr ................................ 916-290-8281 .............................. Zip codes served: 95758, 95823, 95828, 95829 Meadowview Family Resource Ctr ......................... 916-394-6300 ...... Zip codes served: 95818, 95822, 95831, 95831, 95758, 95690 Well Space Health .................................................... 916-679-3925 Zip codes served: 95611, 95610, 95621, 95660, 95673, 95652, 95841, 95842, 95843 The Firehouse Family Resource Ctr ....................... 916-567-9567 .................. Zip codes served: 95815, 95821, 95825, 95834, 95838 Local Attractions Crocker Art Museum .................................................. 916-808-7000 Sacramento Children’s Museum ................................ 916-638-7225 Fairytale Town .............. ……………………………..….916-808-5233
(Child with special needs & one adult are admitted free.) Sacramento Zoo ......................... ……………………...916-808-5880
(Child w/ special needs and one adult are each 1/2 price.)
Recreation & Parks Departments City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Dept. .............................. ................................................................................... 916-808-5200
Cordova Recreation and Park Dept. .......................... 916-362-1841 Cosumnes Community Svc. Dist. (Elk Grove) ............ 916-405-5600 Folsom Parks and Recreation Department ................ 916-355-7285 Southgate Park District ............................................... 916-428-1171 Sunrise Recreation and Park District ......................... 916-725-1585 Early Literacy/Play Activities Sacramento County Library Main Branch .................. 916-264-2700
Child Care / Respite
Child Action ................................................................ 916-369-0191 (Ask for “enhanced referral”.) My Friends Pediatric Health Care Ctr ......................... 916-987-8632 Sacramento Crisis Nursery (North) ............................ 916-679-3600 (South) ................................................................ 916-394-2000 United Cerebral Palsy ................................................ 916-779-6262
Nutrition /Feeding Assistance
Breastfeeding Coalition of Sacramento ...................... 916-261-5683
Le Leche League ........................................................ 916-442-5920
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ............................................................................ 916-876-5000
WIC Breastfeeding Helpline ...................................... 916-875-2120
Health Care
CCS - California Children's Services .......................... 916-875-9900
CHDP-Children’s Health & Disab. Prog… ................. 916-875-7151 Medi-Cal ........ ……………………………………………800-880-5305 Sacramento Covered (Help w/ Insurance) ................. 916-414-8333
Financial Assistance
In-Home Support Services ......................................... 916-874-9471 SSI - Supplemental Security Income .......................... 800-772-1213
Hotline / Crisis
Families First, Inc. ...................................................... 916-388-6400 La Familia Counseling Center, Inc.
(Spanish) ............................................................ 916-452-3601 Mental Health Crisis Line ................ 916-732-3637 / 916- 875-1000 Child Services Access Team .............................. 916-875-9980 Sacramento Crisis Nursery (North) ............................ 916-679-3600 (South) ................................................................ 916-394-2000 Women Escaping a Violent Environment
(WEAVE ) Crisis Line ......................................... 916-920-2952
“The future is not some place we are going,
but one we are creating. The paths are not
found, but made and the activity of making
them changes both the maker and the
destination.”
- John Schorr
28
Placer County
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center ................................. 916-786-8110
WarmLine Family Resource Center ........................... 916-632-2100
Family Resource Centers
Lighthouse FRC.......................................................... 916-645-3300 North Tahoe FRC ....................................................... 530-546-0952 Truckee FRC .............................................................. 530-587-2513 Kids First (home visiting program) .................................................... .................................................................. Roseville: 916-774-6802 ..................................................................... Auburn: 530-887-3536 ........................................................... Citrus Heights: 916-705-7378 MIC (parenting classes for men) ...................................................... ....................................................530-887-9245 (Sp: 530-401-6030)
Infant & Child Development Early Head Start/Head Start ....................................... 530-885-5437 KidzKount ................................................................... 530-885-5437 Placer Co. Office of Ed. Infant Dev. Program ............. 916-774-2795 Placer Co. Office of Ed. Child Dev. Program. ............. 530-745-1380 Rocklin Inclusive Preschool ........................................ 916-630-2232 Tahoe-Truckee Unified School Dist. (school readiness program) .................................................................... 530-546-2605 ext. 3853 Western Placer Unified School Dist. (parent participation preschool) ............................................................ 530-633-2591/916-645-6350
Education (over 3 years) Placer Co. Office of Ed. Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA).................................................................................... 530-886-5873
Play / Activities / Recreation / Early Literacy
Placer Nature Center .................................................. 530-878-6053
Recreation & Parks Departments Auburn Recreation District.......................................... 530-885-8461 Rocklin Parks & Recreation ........................................ 916-625-5200 Roseville Park & Recreation ....................................... 916-774-5505 Early Literacy / Play Activities Auburn Public Library ................................................. 530-886-4550 Roseville Public Library .............................................. 916-774-5221
Child Care/Respite Child Care Services Resource & Referral ........................................ .......................................................... 530-745-1380 / 800-464-3322 Kare Crisis Nursery (emergency care for children up to 6 years old) .................................................................................... 530-265-0693
Nutrition/Feeding Assistance Breastfeeding Coalition of Placer County ................... 916-780-6454 La Leche League ............................... 916-631-1721/916-747-1180
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) .............................. 530-889-7187 .......................................... Roseville only: 800-829-7199 ext. 7187
Health Care
California Children’s Services (CCS) ......................... 530-886-3630 Child Health & Disability Program (CHDP) ................ 530-886-3630 Children's System of Care……………………………...530-886-1870 MediCal ............................................................................................. Auburn .................................................................. 530-889-7610 Rocklin ................................................................. 916-784-6000 North Lake Tahoe ................................................. 530-546-1900 Placer Children’s Health Initiative .............................. 530-885-9585 Placer County Health Dept. ....................................... 530-889-7141 (Roseville) ......................................................... 916-784-6000
Financial Assistance In-Home Support Services (IHSS) ............................. 916-787-8860 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ......................... 800-772-1213
County Listing of Resources (Counties are listed in order of population.)
Inclusive early care and education is…
…where children of all abilities and backgrounds live,
learn and play together
…where all children can participate in all daily activi-
ties because the activities and routines are planned to
meet the needs of each child
…where each child’s individual strengths and needs
are valued
What does inclusive early care & education look
like?
• Children with different abilities, interests or back-
grounds playing and learning together
• Every child is involved in all daily activities
• Materials or activities are adapted to meet different
needs of children
• Activities are based on children’s interests, building
on and repeating their successes to increase good feel-
ings about themselves
• Needs of the children are the basis for the daily plans
and schedules
Community:
• Inclusion increases the sharing of resources from
various agencies, benefiting all children
• Inclusive early care and education sends a message
to the community that all children are valued and wel-
comed
Continued on page 29...
29
Yolo County
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center ..................................530-666-3391 WarmLine Family Resource Center.... 916-922-9276/800-660-7995
Infant & Child Development
Early Head Start .........................................................530-668-5160 Head Start ..................................................................530-668-5177 First Steps Infant Program
West Sacramento ...............................................916-371-9561 Woodland ............................................................530-668-3873
Education (over 3 years)
Yolo County Office of Education…………..... .............530-668-3788 Yolo County Special Education Local Plan Area ........530-668-3786
Family Resource Centers Yolo Children’s Alliance ............ ……………………………………….. Davis………………..530-757-5558 (Spanish: 530-757-5560) West Sacramento ............................................916-572-0560 Woodland ........................................ 530-661-2750 ext. 4056 Yolo Family Resource Center……………..… .............530-406-7221
Play / Activities / Recreation / Early Literacy Yolo County Public Library Davis ...................................................................530-757-5593 West Sacramento ...............................................916-375-6465 Woodland ............................................................530-661-5980 (Davis and West Sacramento branches also have toy lending
libraries.) Recreation & Park Departments Davis ...................................................................530-757-5626 West Sacramento ...............................................916-617-4620 Woodland ............................................................530-661-2000
Child Care/Respite
Child Care Services…………........... 530-757-5695 / 800-723-3001 Yolo Crisis Nursery .....................................................530-758-6680
Nutrition/Feeding Assistance Breastfeeding Warmline .............................................800-663-8685 Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Davis ...................................................................530-666-8445 West Sacramento ...............................................916-375-6390 Woodland ............................................................530-666-8445
Woodland Food Closet ...............................................530-662-7020
Health Care Access for Infants & Mothers (AIM) ............................800-433-2611 CCS - California Children's Services ..........................530-666-8333 CHDP-Children’s Health & Disability Program ...........530-666-8249
Medi-Cal West Sacramento .............................................. 916-375-6200 Woodland .......................................................... 530-661-2750 Yolo County Health Dept. ........................................... 530-666-8645 Yolo County Children's Alliance (Help w/ Insurance)……………….. Davis, Woodland…………866-607-4030 or 530-757-5558
West Sacramento ……………………………916-572-0560
Financial Assistance
In-Home Support Services ......................................... 530-661-2955 SSI - Supplemental Security Income.......................... 800-772-1213
Hotline/Crisis
Allied Services for Kids (ASK) (Mental Health Crisis)
Davis .................................................................. 530-753-0797 West Sacramento ............................................... 916-371-3779 Woodland ........................................................... 530-668-8445 Families First, Inc. ..................................................... 530-753-0220 Mental Health Services Access ................................................................ 800-965-6647 Davis .................................................................. 530-757-5530 West Sacramento ............................................... 916-375-6350 Woodland ........................................................... 530-666-8630 Yolo Family Service Agency Davis………… .................................................... 530-753-8674 West Sacramento…………………… ........... …...916-375-1254 Woodland ........................................................... 530-662-2211
County Listing of Resources (Counties are listed in order of population.)
Continued from page 28...
Who benefits from inclusion & inclusive early care
& education?
Other children:
• Inclusion helps children discover that all children
are more alike than different
Inclusion builds children’s self-esteem
Inclusion allows children to learn from each other
• Inclusion helps children see the strengths and abil-
ities of each unique friend
Children with a disability:
• Inclusion increases children’s opportunities to play
and talk together
• Inclusion creates opportunities for friendships
among children
• Inclusion builds children’s self-esteem
Families:
• Inclusion connects families to other families and
resources in their community
• Inclusion increases families’ participation in the
community
30
County Listing of Resources (Counties are listed in order of population.)
El Dorado County
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center:Placerville ................ 530-626-1353 So. Lake Tahoe .................................................. 530-542-0442
WarmLine Family Resource Center ........... 922-9276/800-660-7995
Infant & Child Development
Early Head Start/Head Start ...................................... 530-295-2270
Education (over 3 years) El Dorado Co. Office of Education……….….............. 530-622-7130 Lake Tahoe Unified School District ............................ 530-541-2850 Special Education Local Plan Area Placerville ........................................................... 530-295-2467 Tahoe-Alpine ......................................530-541-2850 x 226/248
Play / Activities / Recreation / /Early Literacy Libraries Cameron Park ............................................................ 530-621-5500 El Dorado Hills ........................................................... 916-358-3500 El Dorado County Library Main Branch ..................... 530-621-5540 Pollack Pines ............................................................. 530-644-2498 South Lake Tahoe ..................................................... 530-573-3185 Recreation & Park Departments Cameron Park ............................................................ 530-677-2231 El Dorado Hills ........................................................... 916-933-6624 Placerville................................................................... 530-642-5232
Child Care / Respite
Choices for Children .................................................. 530-676-0707 South Lake Tahoe .............................................. 530-541-5848
Nutrition/Feeding Assistance
Le Leche League (South Lake Tahoe) ...................... 530-318-9939 Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Placerville ........................................................... 530-621-6176
South Lake Tahoe (English & Spanish) ............. 530-573-3491
Health Care CCS - California Children's Services ......................... 530-621-6231 CHDP-Children’s Health & Disability Program........... 530-621-6110 Children’s Health Initiative (Help w/ Insurance) ......... 800-388-8690 So. Lake Tahoe .................................................. 530-573-3155 El Dorado County Health Dept................................... 530-621-6100 So. Lake Tahoe ................................................. 530-573-3155 Medi-Cal..................................................................... 800-880-5305 Placerville ........................................................... 530-642-7300 South Lake Tahoe ............................................. 530-573-3200
Financial Assistance
In-Home Support Services ......................................... 530-642-4800 SSI - Supplemental Security Income ......................... 800-772-1213
Hotline/Crisis
Mental Health Crisis Line ........................................... 530-622-3345 Tahoe Youth & Family Services................................. 530-541-2445 Crisis Line .......................................................... 800-870-8937
A Mountain Story - Author Unknown
There were two warring tribes in the
Andes — one tribe lived in the lowlands
and the other high in the mountains. The
mountain people invaded the lowlanders
one day and, as part of their plundering of
the people, they kidnapped a baby of one
of the low-landers families. They took the
infant with them back up into the moun-
tains
The lowlanders didn’t know how to
climb the mountain. They didn’t know any
of the trails that the mountain people used.
They didn’t know where to find the moun-
tain people or how to track them in the
steep terrain.
Even so, they sent out their best
party of fighting men to climb the mountain
and bring the baby home. The men tried
first one method of climbing and then an-
other. They tried one trail and then anoth-
er. After several days of effort however,
they had only climbed several hundred
feet.
Feeling hopeless and helpless, the
lowlander men decided that the cause was
lost and they prepared to return to their
village below. As they were packing their
gear for the descent, they saw the baby’s
mother walking toward them. They realized
that she was coming DOWN the mountain
that the men hadn’t figured out how to
climb. And then they saw that she had the
baby strapped to her back. HOW COULD
THAT BE??
One man greeted her and said “We
couldn’t climb this mountain. How did you
do this when we, the strongest and most
able men in the village couldn’t do it?”
She shrugged her shoulders and said,
“It wasn’t your baby.”
31
County Listing of Resources (Counties are listed in order of population.)
Nevada County
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center ................................. 530-272-4231 WarmLine Family Resource Center ....916-922-9276/800-660-7995
Infant & Child Development
Head Start .................................................................. 530-885-5437 Nevada County First 5................................................ 530-274-5361 Nevada County Office of Education Infant Development Program ................................................................. 530-582-0611 x 225
Education (over 3 years) Nevada County Office of Education ........................... 530-478-6400 Nev. Co. Special Education Local Plan Area ... 530-265-0611 x 205 Tahoe-Truckee Special Education Dept..................... 530-585-2565
Family Resource Centers (FRC) Grass Valley Partners FRC ........................................ 530-273-4059 Penn Valley Partners FRC ........................... 530-432-1118 ext. 249 Pleasant Ridge Partners FRC ...........530-268-2831 / 530-575-2373 San Juan Ridge FRC ................................................. 530-292-3174
Play / Activities / Recreation / Early Literacy Libraries Nevada County Library Grass Valley ............................ 530-477-5790 / 530-271-4147 Nevada City .............................. 530-265-7050 / 530-265-4606 Penn Valley ........................................................ 530-432-5764 Truckee .............................................................. 530-582-7846 Sierra Nevada Children’s Services................................................... Grass Valley ....................................................... 530-272-8866 Truckee .............................................................. 530-587-5960 Recreation & Park Departments Nevada County Park & Recreation Dept. ......... 530-265-2496 x 129
Disability Resources FREED Ctr. for Independent Living ...530-265-4444 / 800-655-7732
Child Care/Respite
Kare Crisis Nursery .................................................... 530-265-0693 Sierra Nevada Children’s Services................................................... Grass Valley ....................................................... 530-272-8866 Truckee .............................................................. 530-587-5960
Health Care California Children’s Services (CCS) ......................... 530-265-1450 Children’s Health & Disability Program (CHDP) ......... 530-265-1450 MediCal ...................................................................... 530-265-1340 Truckee .............................................................. 530-582-7803 ........................................................................... 888-809-1340
Nutrition/Feeding Assistance
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) .............................. 530-265-1454
Truckee .............................................................. 530-582-7814
Financial Assistance
In-Home Support Services ......................................... 530-265-1639 SSI - Supplemental Security Income .......................... 800-772-1213
Hotline/Crisis
Kare Crisis Nursery .................................................... 530-265-0693 Mental Health Crisis Line ............................................ 530-265-5811
Alpine County
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center .................................. 530-542-0442
WarmLine Family Resource Center .. 800-660-7995 / 916-922-9276
Infant & Child Development
Alpine Children's Center ............................................. 530-694-2390 Alpine Early Learning Center ...................................... 530-694-1159
Education (over 3 years old) Alpine County Office Of Education ............................ 530-694-2230 Tahoe Alpine, Special Education Local Plan Area ........................... .................................................................. 530-541-2850 x 248
Play / Activities / Recreation / Early Literacy
Alpine First 5 ............................................................... 530-830-2845 Choices for Children .................................................. 530-694-2129 Libraries Alpine County Library ................................................. 530-694-2120
Child Care/Respite
Choices for Children .................................................. 530-694-2129
Nutrition/Feeding Assistance
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ........................... 530-573-3491
Health Care Alpine County Public Health ..................................... 530- 694-2235 CCS - California Children's Services ................ 530-694-2146 x 244 CHDP- Children’s Health & Disability Prog. ............... 530-694-2146 Medi-Cal ....................................................... 530-694-2235 ext. 241 ............................................................................ 800-880-5305
Financial Assistance
In-Home Support Services ............................... 530-694-2235 x 234 SSI - Supplemental Security Income .......................... 800-772-1213
Hotline/Crisis
Alpine Co. Behavior Svcs. (Mental Health) ................ 530-694-1816
32
Regional Resources
Regional
Information & Referral for Developmental Programs
Alta California Regional Center ........................ 916-978-6400 WarmLine Family Resource Center ................. 800-660-7995
Sacramento ............................................... 916-922-9276 Placer County .......................................... 916-632-2100 Spanish ..................................................... 916-922-1490
Education Calif. Dept. of Ed.,Special Education Department ..................
.................................................................. 916-445-4613 Calif. Dept. of Education Procedural Safeguards ................. ......................................................................... 800-926-0648
Resource Libraries
Alta California Regional Center, George F. Kelso Foundation
Library (Sacramento) ................................ 916-978-6252
Early Start Library (Sacramento)… ................. 916-492-4000
WarmLine Family Resource Center .......................................
Sacramento ...................... 916-922-9276 / 800-660-7995
Placer County............................................ 916-632-2100
Spanish ..................................................... 916-922-1490
Technology
Alliance for Technology Access ....................... 800-914-3017
Assistive Technology Network ......................... 800-390-2699
California Children’s Services (CCS)
(for medically eligible conditions) .......... See your county
Communication Technology Ed. Ctr. ................ 916-921-5639
Easter Seals Superior California ...................... 916-485-6711
SEEDS Wrkgrp on Early Ed. Tech. (SWEET) 916-228-2379
Legal/Advocacy
Area Board III ................................................... 916-263-3085 Calif. Dept. of Ed. Procedural Safeguards ...... 800-926-0648 Disability Rights California ....... 916-504-5800 / 800-776-5746 Disability Rights & Defense Fund (DREDF) .... 510-644-2555 Parent Training & Information Center for Yolo County Legal Services of Northern California ............... 916-551-2150 Office of Clients Rights Advocacy916-575-1615 / 800-390-7032 Patients Rights Advocates ...... 916-488-9950 / 800-776-5746 Rowell Family Resource Center ....................... 877-227-3471 Parent Training & Information Ctr: for Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada & Alpine Co.
Family Leave Calif. Employment Dev. Dept: ………………………………...877-238-4373 or www.edd.ca.gov US Dept. of Labor:……………866-487-2365 or www.dol.gov Labor Project for Working Families: …………………………………………...www.paidfamilyleave.org
Parking Placard
DMV………………………………………………….800-777-0133
Utilities (Medical Rates) PG&E………………………………………………...800-743-5000 www.pge.com Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)…...888-742-7683 www.smud.org
The Premature Infant: How old is my baby?
Babies who are born prematurely often have two
“ages”.
Chronological age is the number of days, weeks or
years old the baby is.
Adjusted age is the age of the baby based on his due
date. Health care providers may use this age when
they evaluate the baby’s growth and development.
So, if a baby is 6 months old, but was born two
months early, his adjusted age is 4 months.
What to say when someone asks your baby’s age.
This is up to you. You can say:
“He’s 6 months old, but he was born two months
early, that’s why he looks like a 4 month old.”
~ OR ~
“He’s 6 months old” and leave it at that.
Remember: When people ask about your baby,
they usually are being kind, not nosy.
Catching up
Most premature babies “catch up” developmentally,
in two to three years. After that, any differences in
size or development are most likely due to individu-
al differences, rather than to premature birth. Some
very small babies take longer to catch up. You can
stop adjusting your baby’s age when it feels most
comfortable to you.
March of Dimes – August 2009
33
Emergency Preparedness for Children with Special Needs
© 2007 Children’s Hospital and Regional medical Center, Seattle, Washington. (Excerpted)
“I used to get overwhelmed about emergency pre-
paredness, but once I broke it down into small steps
it got easier. Each week I put a few items on my
shopping list. Then I got other supplies at second
hand stores and the Red Cross. I feel better knowing
I’m ready instead of worrying about getting ready”.
–Parent
Consider your child’s needs if there was:
No water, electricity, telephone, heat, air
conditioning, computer
No local access to prescription refills or health
products
No refrigeration
Separation from your family
Evacuation to a shelter or elsewhere
Confinement to home
Limited health care access
Lack of transportation
Limited emergency rescue services
Planning for Special Needs
Talk with your family about different types of
emergencies... and how to care for your child
with special needs during an emergency
Talk with...your child’s health care team about
how to care for your child during different types
of emergencies. Develop a plan for how you
will communicate with (them) during an emer-
gency.
Plan for back-up sources of heat, refrigeration
and electricity. Your family can use an emergen-
cy shelter for storing medicine, charging equip-
ment, help with medical needs, getting a meal
and more. You do not have to be staying in a
shelter to use its resources.
If your child depends on dialysis or other life-
sustaining treatment, know the location of more
than one facility and find out their plans for
emergencies and how your child will get treat-
ment, medication, etc. Get their emergency
contact numbers.
Store extra medications and equipment at your
child’s school (or other alternate site).
Create and practice an escape plan for your
home. Are there clear exit paths for a child
who uses mobility devices or has vision loss?
For each person in the home, keep a pair of
shoes stored under their bed to use in an
evacuation.
Talk to your local police and fire departments
about their emergency services or plans for
people with disabilities.
Plan for your child’s service animal.
Obtain a medical alert and/or identification
bracelet for your child. (Consider wearing a
matching one in case you become separated
and are unable to communicate.)
In the event of a disaster, listen to your emer-
gency radio station.
Create a Support Network
A support network includes family,
neighbors or friends that can help you & your child.
Tell your support network about your child’s
special needs and where your emergency sup-
plies are stored.
Give a trusted member of your network a key to
your home.
Agree upon a system with your neighbors to
signal for help if phones and electricity are not
working.
Show others how to handle your
child’s...equipment.
Talk to other families who have a child with the
same condition ...about ideas and tips.
34
Pack Emergency Supplies Including:
A copy of your child’s up-to-date Emergency
Information Form and Care Plan.
Current medical information and ...records
stored in an easy to carry format such as a CD or
flash drive. Keep at least one paper copy in a
waterproof bag.
Two weeks worth of medical supplies such as
syringes, dressing materials, nasal cannulas or
suction catheters.
At least a 3 day supply of medications (14 days is
ideal). Talk with your child’s doctor about how
to obtain an extra supply. Keep prescription
information in your wallet, car and survival kit,
along with the name, location and phone num-
ber of an out-of-town pharmacy. Ask your
doctor or pharmacist how to properly store
medications for use in an emergency. Note:
Rotate prescription supplies so that medication
does not expire.
Back-up power support (generator or battery)
for electrical medical equipment. (Due to
deadly fumes, use generators, camp stoves or
grills outdoors.)
Have a way to charge your cell phone without
electricity. You can use a car adaptor or crank
radio/flashlight that includes a cell phone
charger. Look for battery powered or travel
versions of medical equipment your child uses.
An AC adaptor for your car that can run small
electrical equipment such as a nebulizer. Know
how long your battery will last while using the
adaptor.
Manual wheelchair or other non-electric
equipment.
Extra contact lenses, lens supplies, glasses.
Batteries for hearing aids, communication
devices.
Special dietary foods and supplies.
Cooler and chemical ice packs for storing medi-
cations that must be kept cold.
Items that calm or entertain your child.
Identification to be carried by each child in case
your family gets separated.
Proof of service animal status to insure it can go
with you into a shelter. (Don’t forget to keep
vaccination records with other important emer-
gency papers and make sure the animal has iden-
tification.)
Store your supplies in water and pest-proof con-
tainers that are easy to get to. Update supplies
and emergency contact and medical forms each
year and replace water every six months. Store
batteries out of devices until ready for use.
For more information, go to:
Ready.gov
http://www.ready.gov/document/preparing-makes-
sense-people-disabilities-and-special-needs
Disability Resources
http://www.disabilityresources.org/DISASTER.html
35
The next section
contains checklists and
worksheets which will
help you
plan:
Your child’s IFSP meetings,
Your child’s transition to preschool,
Medical appointments, and
Record important developmental and
medical history*
*This is information you will be asked frequently by
service providers. Having it written down will
enable to you provide it more easily.
Check the
National Center for Medical Home Implementation
website for templates to create a "Care Notebook” for your child.
36
Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) Preparation
The IFSP is updated at least every six months until your child turns three years old. It is recommend-
ed that you use this guide to preparation before each meeting. It will help you identify your child’s and
family’s needs so you can communicate them to your child’s team.
Things my child can do currently: Date:___________________________
Concerns about my child’s development: Date:________________________________
Family Concerns and Priorities: Date:________________________________
Smile Crawl Walk Alone Cruises Around Furniture
Hold up Head Sit Alone Babble Scribbles on Paper
Roll Over Pull to Stand Say Single Word Points to Body Parts
Mouth Toys Use Spoon Put Words Together Walks up Stairs
Dresses Self Toilet Trained Names Pictures Plays Peek-a-Boo
Toilet Training Difficult to Discipline Interaction w/ Family Interaction w/ Others
Injures Self Bites Cries Often Restless
Sucks Thumb Separation Problems Hyperactive In a world of his/her own
Eats non-food
items
Fearful Rocks Aggressive
Temper
Tantrums
Poor Sleeping Poor Eating Other:
X Concerns for Your Family X Concerns for Your Family
Parent-to-Parent Support Parent Support Group
Sibling Support Counseling (Individual/Family)
How to Talk about Your Child’s Special Needs with
Family, Friends, Strangers
Coordinating Services Between Agencies
Information about Your Child’s Disability/Condition Financial Counseling Regarding Medical Bills,
Social Security Income (SSI), Etc.
Child Care Respite Care
Transportation Financial Planning for the Future
Recreation Translation Services
Referral for Special Training (CPR, Sign
Language, Etc.)
Referral to Social Service Agencies
Help Finding Medical/Dental Care Other:
Other: Other:
37
X Goals for Your Child X Goals for Your Child X Goals for Your Child
Getting Around (Mobility) Challenging Behaviors Health Care
Nutrition Play Skills Vision
Dental Care Toileting Occupational Therapy
Hearing Communicating/Speech Special Equipment/Supplies
Physical Therapy Feeding/Eating Participation in Play Groups
Enhancing Child’s
Development
Other: Other:
Putting it all Together - IFSP Vision Statement Guide:
Each family receiving early intervention services for their child has their own priorities, concerns, and
resources. Your concerns will change over time, but this worksheet will help you to identify your vi-
sion for your child and family’s needs.
Putting your vision into words may be challenging at first, but with practice, it will become easier.
The goal is to have high expectations for your child and dare to dream. As your child gets older, you’ll
begin to ask what his or her dreams are for the future. Don’t worry about whether they are “realistic”.
Many of us had dreams as children that changed as we got older. The value is in encouraging your child to
picture what the future can hold and pursue his or her dreams.
What pleases you most about your child?________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
What concerns you most about your child?____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
In the next several months, I would like to see my child be able to...:_________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
By kindergarten, I would like to see my child be able to…:__________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
In addition to my family, other people I would like to include in the assessment and planning meeting for
my child and family are…______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Other Comments:______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
38
Eligibility for continued Alta services
Eligibility for special education services
Obtaining child care
Preparing my child for preschool
How Early Start and preschool services are the same and different
Assessment procedure and additional assessments that may be needed
What to look for in a preschool setting
Information to be shared with the preschool program
Determining the best setting for my child (home, child care, preschool, etc.)
Help with determining goals which will help my child with transition
Help with organizing developmental, educational and medical records
How to participate effectively in meetings with school district staff
How to advocate for my child with school district staff
Other:
Other:
Preschool Transition Preparation Guide
This list includes information which you might consider helpful while making plans for your child’s
transition out of Early Start services. Check the items you would like to know more about and discuss them
with your service coordinator. WarmLine can also help you with the transition process.
Notes
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
39
Medical Appointment Notes
Appointment Date/Time:____________________ Reason for Visit:_____________________________
Provider: ____________________________________________ Phone: _________________________
Follow Up:
When:____________________________________ With Whom?________________________________
Other Instructions: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Questions or Concerns Responses
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
40
Medication Log
Pharmacy:______________________________________ Phone:__________________
Pharmacy:______________________________________ Phone:__________________
Place in if there is a change in dose.
Date Started Medication Reason Prescribed Dose
Rx Number Discontinued
Date/Reason
41
Personal Information
Child
Parents
Others Living in the Home
Emergency Contact
Primary Service Providers
Name: Birthdate: ____ Boy ____Girl
Address: City/Zip:
Phone: Language Spoken at Home:
Social Security #:
Health Insurance: Insurance #:
Father (Biological/Adoptive/Legal Guardian) Mother (Biological/Adoptive/Legal Guardian)
Name: Name:
Address: Address:
City/Zip: City/Zip:
Home Phone: Home Phone:
Cell Phone: Cell Phone:
Work Phone: Work Phone:
Name Birthdate Relationship
Name: Relationship:
Address: Phone:
Pediatrician: Phone:
Pharmacy: Phone:
Durable Medical Equipment Co.: Phone:
Alta Calif. Regional Ctr. SC: Phone:
CCS Nurse Case Mgr: Phone:
Home Nursing Agency Phone:
Day Care Provider Phone:
42
Mother’s Prenatal History
1. Length of pregnancy (in weeks):_________________________________________
2. My expected due date:_______________________________________________
3. My birthdate:______________________________________________________
4. Mom’s complications during pregnancy:________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Birth History
1. Hospital where born:_________________________________________________________________
2. Birth weight:_____________ Length:_______________ Head Circumference:__________________
3. Apgar Scores:___________________________________
4. Cesarean Section: ____ Yes _____ No 5. Breech Birth _____ Yes ____ No
6. Hospitalized In NICU at:____________________ Hospital for (length of stay) _________________
7. Complications at birth and while hospitalized: (ie, problems breathing, oxygen, ventilator, jaun-
dice, feeding problems, transfusion, heart defects, seizures, medication, etc.)
Approximate Date Complication
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
43
Medical History
1. Allergies (medication, foods, tape, latex, etc.): __________________________________
2. Diet: ___ Regular ____ Formula :______________________________________________
3. Route Fed: ___ Oral ____ NG ___ GT / Tube brand/size:_________________________
4. Special feeding instructions: (i.e., ml/hr, bolus feed, aspiration risk, etc.): ___________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Current medications: See page 46
6. Past Illnesses. Check all that apply.
7. Please explain the above items that were checked:_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Please check the equipment your child currently uses:
9. Past Surgeries/Procedures
Allergies Asthma Difficulty Swallowing
Stops Breathing Heart Problems Skin Problems
Poor Coordination Breathing Difficulty Seizures
Excessive Diarrhea Reflux Excessive Vomiting
Excessive Constipation Frequent Fevers Urinary Tract Infection
Failure to Thrive Anemia Ear Infections
Pneumonia RSV Frequent Colds
Other: Other: Other:
Monitor Type: Nebulizer Ventilator
Tracheostomy Colostomy Oxygen
Feeding Tube Type: Feeding Pump Hearing Aids
Ankle-Foot Orthotics (AFO) Walker Wheelchair
Other: Other: Other:
Approx. Date Procedure Hospital
44
Medical History
10. Procedures to be avoided and why:
1.____________________________________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Diagnostic Tests (EEG, MRI, CT, etc.)
12. Hospitalizations
Date Test Where Performed Results
Date Admitted: Date Discharged: Reason for Hospitalization:
Hospital Name/City Did you receive a copy of the discharge summary?:
Doctor(s)
Diagnostic Tests:
Comments:
Date Admitted: Date Discharged: Reason for Hospitalization:
Hospital Name/City Did you receive a copy of the discharge summary?:
Doctor(s)
Diagnostic Tests:
Comments:
Date Admitted: Date Discharged: Reason for Hospitalization:
Hospital Name/City Did you receive a copy of the discharge summary?:
Doctor(s)
Diagnostic Tests:
Comments:
45
Family History
1. Do any of the child’s siblings have developmental or health concerns? ____ Yes ____ No
If yes, please explain:________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do any relatives on either side of the family have the following?
Developmental History
No Yes If yes, who?
Allergies
Asthma
Autism
Cerebral Palsy
Genetic Disorder (i.e., Down syndrome,
cystic fibrosis, etc.
Heart Disease
Hearing Loss
Intellectual Disability/Developmental Delay
Learning Difficulties/School Problems
Speech/Language Delay
Seizures
Visual Impairment
Other:
Other:
Age Accomplished Skill Age Accomplished Skill
Smile Crawl
Hold up Head Sit Alone
Roll Over Pull to Stand
Mouth Toys Use Spoon
Dresses Self Toilet Trained
Walk Alone Cruises Around Furniture
Babble Scribbles on Paper
Say Single Word Points to Body Parts
Put Words Together Walks up Stairs
Names Pictures Plays Peak-a-Boo
46
“Alphabet Soup”—Common Acronyms
AAC Augmentative Alternative
Communication
ABA Applied Behavior Analysis
ACRC Alta California Regional Center
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder
AT Assistive Technology
AUT Autism
CAC Community Advisory Committee
CCS California Children Services
CDE California Department of Education
CH Communicatively Handicapped
CP Cerebral Palsy
DD Developmentally Delayed
DDS Dept. of Developmental Services
DHOH Deaf and Hard of Hearing
DIS Designated Instruction and Services
ED Emotionally Disturbed
ECSE Early Childhood Special Education
FBA Functional Behavior Assessment
HI Hearing Impaired
ID Intellectual Disability
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEP Individualized Education Program
IFSP Individualized Family Service Plan
IHSS In-home Support Services
IPP Individual Program Plan
IQ Intelligence Quotient
LD Learning Disabled/Learning Disability
LEA Local Education Agency
(local school district)
LH Learning Handicapped
LRE Least Restrictive Environment
LSH Language, Speech and Hearing
MD Multiple Disabilities
MH Multi-handicapped
MM Mild/Moderate
MR Mentally Retarded
(Replaced in Federal and State law with
Intellectual Disability)
MS Moderate/Severe
NPA Nonpublic agency
NPS Nonpublic school
OH/OI Orthopedically Handicapped/Impaired
OHI Other Health Impaired
O&M Orientation and Mobility
OT Occupational Therapy
PDD Pervasive Developmental Disorder
PDD/NOS Pervasive
Developmental
Disorder,
Not Otherwise
Specified
PHN Public Health Nurse
PT Physical therapy
RC Regional Center
SDC Special Day Class
SELPA Special Education Local Plan Area
SH/SI Severely Handicapped/Impaired
SLD Specific Learning Disability
SLI Speech and Language Impairment
SLT Speech / Language Therapy
SLP Speech & Language Pathologist
SPD Sensory Processing Disorder
SSI Supplemental Security Income
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury
TDD Telecommunications Device
for the Deaf
VI Visually Impaired
“One of my 6 year old daughter’s
favorite kids in school is a 9 year old boy
named Sammy. According to Nikki, Sammy
is in a wheelchair and has a feeding tube.
One day, during one of our after-
school chats, I asked, “Nikki, can Sammy
talk?”
“Oh, yes”, she assured me, “He can
talk.”
“Are you sure?” I asked her. “I
thought the kids in his class couldn’t talk.”
“Yes, he can,” insisted Nikki, her
voice growing louder. “Sammy talked to me
today.”
“What did he say?” I asked her.
Nikki responded, “When I said ‘hi’ to
him, he smiled at me.”
Cheryl Kremer from
“Chicken Soup for the Soul-Children with
Special Needs”
47
Glossary
Activities of Daily Living (“ADL”): Activities that make a student independent in his environment, such as
dressing, eating and toileting.
Asperger’s Syndrome: A neurological disorder in which children have normal intelligence and language
skills, but have autistic-like behaviors and difficulty with social interaction and communication. It is one of
the disorders on the “autism spectrum”.
Assistive Technology (AT): Any item, piece of equipment, or system used to increase, maintain, or improve
function of individuals with disabilities.
Assessment: Observation and testing of children to identify the strengths and needs of the child in order to
develop an appropriate educational plan.
Assessment Plan: The description of the tests (psychological, achievement, language, etc.) to be used in a
particular student’s assessment.
Audiology: Service provided by a licensed audiologist who identifies and works with people with hearing
loss.
Auditory Processing: The ability to understand and use information that is heard, both words as well as
other non-verbal sounds.
Autism: A disability in which the person has severe language and communication difficulties and is unable to
relate normally to other people. People with autism have bizarre movement and self-stimulatory patterns,
lack of normal handling of toys and other objects and lack of most normal functional skills.
Behavior Assessment: See Functional Behavior Assessment.
Case Management: The service coordinator or case manager is the person who helps parents develop this
plan and is responsible for seeing that agencies are working with the family to provide all of the needed
services.
Cerebral Palsy: A neuromuscular disorder caused by injury to an infant’s brain during either late pregnancy,
birth, or trauma during the first two years of life. Children with cerebral palsy may have difficulty walking,
speaking or swallowing.
Cognition; Cognitive Skills: Thinking skills; sometimes referred to as pre-academic or problem-solving skills
in preschoolers.
Communicatively Handicapped (CH): A special education term used to describe children whose major
disability is in the area of speech and language.
Community Advisory Committee (CAC): A group made up of parents of children with disabilities,
members of the community, students, and special education professionals, who discuss and make recom-
mendations on special education issues and hold informative meetings.
Deaf-Blind: A disability in which children have impairment of vision and hearing that affects their ability to
learn.
48
Designated Instruction and Services (DIS): (also called related services) Additional special education
services a student needs in order to benefit from his/her educational program (speech, adapted physical
education, transportation, etc.).
Developmental Skills/Milestones: Actions (e.g. reaching, rolling, crawling) that a child is expected to per-
form within a given age range.
Developmental Tests: Standardized tests that measure a child’s development as it compares to the develop-
ment of all other children at that age.
Developmental Specialist: Someone who tests a child to measure how his/her development compares to
other children of the same age.
Developmentally Delayed: Describes children who are not able to perform the skills that other children of
the same age can perform.
Down Syndrome: A chromosomal disorder that results in mild to severe developmental delays and physical
symptoms.
Due Process: The legal procedures used to make sure that parents and educators make fair decisions about
the identification, assessment and placement of children with disabilities.
Early Intervention Services: Services designed to identify and reduce the impact of a developmental prob-
lem as early as possible.
Early Start: California’s program to help families whose infants or toddlers have, or who are at risk for,
disabilities or developmental delays.
Expressive Language: Ability to produce language for communicating with other people,
Fine Motor Skills: Skills needing the use of hands or the use of small muscle groups.
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): One of the key parts of the IDEA, which requires that an educa-
tion program be provided for all school-aged children without cost to families.
Gross Motor Skills: Skills needing the use of large muscle groups.
Head Start: Pre-school program for qualifying children ages 3 to 4 years. Head Start provides health,
nutritional, educational, social and other services. Ten percent of children served must be children with
disabilities.
Hearing Handicap/Hearing Impairment (HI): A disability; a hearing loss that interferes with the ability to
understand or use language and that affects learning in school.
IEP Team: The Individual Education Program Team which meets to assess your child needs, develop pro-
gram plans, and make program placement. It includes parents, teachers, professionals - anyone included in
the child’s life.
Inclusion: Children with and without disabilities learning together in an educational setting. Students with
disabilities are placed in typical classrooms taught by regular education teachers. Help from special educa-
tion teachers and/or special instruction and services can offer additional support.
49
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A): The Federal Law that guarantees that children with disa-
bilities will receive a free and appropriate education. This may be accomplished in a special education and/or
regular education setting.
Individualized Education Program (IEP): A written plan for children ages 3 to 22 years which states a child’s
present level of educational performance, sets annual goals and short-term objectives, and identifies appropri-
ate services needed to meet those goals.
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP): A written plan for families and children aged birth to three years
which includes a statement of the family’s priorities and resources and a statement of the child’s present levels
of development with outcomes and services to be provided.
Individualized Program Plan (IPP): A written plan for persons after age 3 prepared by the Regional Center
and parents which includes the child’s and family’s desires, information about the child, and a plan for
delivering services.
Intellectual Disability: Now used in Federal and California state law in place of “mental retardation”.
Language Delay: A lag or slowness in the development of a child’s ability to speak or understand language.
Lanterman Act: The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act is a California law that sets out the
rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and creates the agencies, including regional centers, responsi-
ble for planning and coordinating services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their
families.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): A school setting which is most like, or is, a regular classroom while still
meeting the child’s special needs.
Low Incidence Disability: A student who is deaf, blind and/or orthopedically impaired.
Mentally Retarded: see Intellectual Disability
Mobility: Movement in the environment.
Multidisciplinary Assessment: Assessment of a child that involves a number of different professionals.
Natural Environment: A place where infants and toddlers without disabilities and their families might typical-
ly be found. Early Intervention services are required to be provided in a natural environment.
Occupational Therapy (OT): A service provided by a licensed occupational therapist who assists children
with fine motor activities and everyday tasks like eating, dressing and hand use.
Orientation and Mobility (O&M): A service provided by an orientation and mobility specialist who teaches
children with visual impairments how to know their position in space and how to move safely from place to
place.
Orthopedically Impaired (OI): A disability in which children have difficulty getting around without adaptive
equipment, e.g., wheelchair, braces, etc.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD): PDD refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the
development of socialization and communication skills. Autism is the most characteristic and best studied
50
PDD. Other types of PDD include Asperger's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Rett's Syn-
drome. Children with PDD vary widely in abilities, intelligence, and behaviors. Some children do not speak at
all, others speak in limited phrases or conversations, and some have relatively normal language development.
Repetitive play skills and limited social skills are generally evident. Unusual responses to sensory information,
such as loud noises and lights, are also common.
Physical Therapy (PT): A service provided by a licensed physical therapist who assists children with gross
motor activities such as rolling, sitting, and walking.
Program Specialist: A person at the (school) district level who is knowledgeable about available special
education programs in that district, and who is responsible for making sure that children receive needed
services.
Psychologist: Screens, diagnoses and treats people with social, emotional, psychological, behavioral or devel-
opmental problems. Administers psycho-educational tests. Does not prescribe medication.
Psycho-Social Development: The psychological development of a person in relation to his or her social
environment.
Receptive Language: Recognition and/or understanding of what is heard.
Related Services: see Designated Instruction and Services
Self-Help Skills: A term relating to skills such as feeding, dressing, and toileting.
Sensory Integration Therapy (SI): Usually provided by a specially trained occupational therapist, SI therapy
provides the sensory and motor activities which help the overall functioning of the nervous system and helps
the child to cope with the sensory input from the environment.
Special Day Class (SDC): A classroom set aside for children who would benefit from specialized services for
over half of the school day; the children receive most of their teaching from a special education teacher.
Social Skills: Those skills associated with how children get along with adults and peers in home, school and
community settings; with young children it also refers to their play skills.
Special Education: Instruction that is specifically designed to meet the needs of children with special needs.
Speech/Language Therapy: Services provided by a speech and language therapist or speech pathologist who
helps children learn to communicate.
Vision Services: A related service; instruction that helps children with visual impairments maximize their visual
abilities.
Visual Motor Skills: The ability to adjust movement based on what is seen - includes eye-hand coordination
(activities such as cutting and handwriting) as well as gross motor skills (like kicking and throwing).
Visually Handicapped/Visually Disabled/Visually Impaired (VH): Vision loss affecting the ability to learn in
school.
Visual Impairment (VI): Vision loss that affects ability to learn.
51
My Child’s Care Team
(Include doctors, dentist, therapists, nurses, service coordinator, etc.)
Name Title/Agency Contact Information (phone, email, etc.)
(For information and
support)
WarmLine
Family Resource Center
Sacramento: 916-922-9276 Placer Co.: 916-632-2100
Toll Free: 800-660-7995 Spanish: 916-922-1490
www.warmlinefrc.org [email protected]
WarmLine Family Resource Center
“Supporting Families of Children with Special Needs Since 1993.”
WarmLine is grateful for funding support from California Department of Developmental Services Early Start Program, Placer First 5, Sacramento County Office of Education, the annual WarmLine Golf Tournament, our community partners and friends.
Sacramento:
916-922-9276 Fax: 916-922-9341
email: [email protected]
www.warmlinefrc.org
Placer County:
916-632-2100 Fax: 916-632-2103
email: [email protected]
www.warmlinefrc.org
Toll Free: 800-660-7995 Spanish: 916-922-1490
