Early Intervention Services

Early intervention services are designed to provide a program of educational intervention directly to the student with disabilities from birth to five years of age, to the parent, or both. Additional information regarding early intervention programs is available from the Instructional Facilitator for Early Intervention Services at 410-313-7017.

Early Beginnings Program

The Early Beginnings Program serves children from birth to three years of age who have a developmental delay or who are at risk for developmental delay. The program is part of the Howard County Infants and Toddlers Program (HCITP), a coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of services for infants, toddlers, and their families. Other agencies participating in the HCITP are the Howard County Health Department and the Howard County Department of Social Services.

Every child who is birth through 2 years of age is eligible for evaluation and assessment to identify health and developmental needs in the areas of:

• Hearing
• Cognitive development
• Speech
• Social-Emotional development
• Language
• Self-help skills

Early intervention services are designed in the areas of physical, cognitive, communication, social or emotional, or adaptive development. Early Beginnings Program staff members use a routines-based and activities-based intervention model to help parents learn and use techniques that will facilitate their children's development. The services are provided in the child's home, at school, in child-care settings, or in community environments. Early intervention services include:

• Family education, counseling, and support
• Early identification, screening, and assessment
• Special instruction
• Health services necessary for benefit from services
• Speech-language pathology and audiology services
• Community Health nursing
• Occupational therapy
• Social work services
• Physical therapy
• Vision services
• Psychological services
• Assistive technology devices and services
• Service coordination
• Nutrition services
• Home visits
• Transportation
• Medical services for diagnosis or evaluation

A team is designated to work with the family to develop the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The IFSP, which is developed for each eligible child, describes outcomes and activities that parents feel are important for the child and family. Outcomes reflect the changes families would like to see for their child based on needs. Parents are active participants in developing IFSPs and implementing the intervention programs.

Preschool-Kindergarten Program

The Preschool-Kindergarten Program is a part of the Howard County Public School System's Special Education Program. The program serves children who are three through five years of age who have a disability or developmental delay. Three and four year old children receive special education and related services in four or five day preschool classes with typically developing peers. These preschool classes are included in Regional Early Childhood Centers located at elementary schools throughout the county. Kindergarten age children generally receive services in team taught general education kindergarten classes.
What are the Services?

Team members provide instruction and therapy services using techniques that combine sound principles of early childhood special education, developmentally appropriate practices, and applied behavioral analysis. Active learning, child choice, highly motivating materials, and positive behavioral supports are key to facilitating children's growth in developmental areas. Personalized programs are developed by school team members and parents to accelerate children's development of language, literacy, mathematics, social interaction, and motor skills.

Multiple Intense Needs Classes

Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten children who have moderate to severe delays in cognition, social interaction, communication, and behavior may receive services through Multiple Intense Needs Classes (MINC). These classes are located in Regional Early Childhood Centers throughout Howard County. Approximately four to five children with disabilities and four to five typically developing children are included in each class.

Staff members use an incidental teaching approach that incorporates principles of applied behavior analysis to help children develop skills. Instruction is embedded in identified routines and activities to provide multiple opportunities for the children to practice skills. Other instructional strategies may be selected based on the developmental level of the child; the child's learning style, strengths, and needs; and the skill or task to be learned.

Family members actively participate in the children's intervention programs. The focus of parent training is on using incidental teaching and family guided routines-based intervention. Family Intervention Specialists provide intensive training to families in implementing instructional and behavioral support plans.

Family Support Network

Family Support Network Coordinators are available to provide information, support, and linkages to community resources for families of children from birth through five years of age. In addition, they coordinate a parent training program as well as a parent mentor program which links "experienced" parents of children with disabilities with those parents of children who are new to the programs.

Multiple Intense Needs Classes

The Multiple Intense Needs Classes provide special education and related services for children who are of first through fifth grade age. Classes are located in selected elementary schools and have an average of six children with multiple intense needs. Children with multiple intense needs have personally designed programs that incorporate intensive school-based intervention and structured opportunities for inclusive activities with typical peers. The student's educational needs and learning style are considered in providing modifications and strategies in a functional academic and life-skills program. The goal of this program is to facilitate the child's integration into school and community.

Placement in a MINC is determined through the IEP process. Children who meet the following criteria may be considered for a Multiple Intense Needs Class:

• Are of first grade age or older
• Have a diagnosis of autism, mental retardation or any other disability which results in multiple intense needs in two or more of the following developmental areas as determined by qualified diagnosticians:
  • Communication
  • Social, behavioral
  • Sensory
  • Cognitive (moderate to severe range)
  • Have participated in less restrictive environments (e.g., inclusion in classroom of typical peers with supports and modifications) which the IEP team has determined to be inappropriate.

Additional information regarding the Multiple Intense Needs Classes (MINC) may be obtained from Instructional Facilitators (410-313-6742) for the Department of Special Education.

Academic/Life Skills Program for Secondary Students

The Academic/Life Skills Programs for secondary students are located in selected middle and high schools throughout the county. The program provides special education and related services to students who are certificate-bound and in need of a structured setting which provides functional academics, life skills, transition activities, and vocational/work opportunities. Each program provides self-contained, small group instruction, instruction in general education classrooms, as appropriate, and access to extracurricular school activities. As students enter high school, those experiences in work, transition activities, and community experiences increase. Students are referred to the Academic/Life Skills Programs through the home school IEP team process which includes the parents and representatives from the Department of Special Education and possible receiving programs.

Additional information regarding the Academic/Life Skills Programs may be obtained from Instructional Facilitators (410-313-6742) for the Department of Special Education.

Programs for Students with Emotional Disturbance

Regional programs for students with emotional disturbance are located within comprehensive elementary and secondary schools. This setting affords students the opportunity to demonstrate the generalization of academic and behavioral skills in less restrictive settings while receiving direct instruction and reinforcement in a more restrictive setting. The goal of such regional programs is to return students to their home school as soon as possible and to provide support for their successful reintegration. This is accomplished through building students' social and academic competencies, supporting parents, and collaborating with community agencies.

Additional information regarding programs for students with emotional disturbance may be obtained from Instructional Facilitators (410-313-6742) for the Department of Special Education.

Homewood School

Homewood is a place for students who have experienced crisis. Each child is cared for, accepted, respected, encouraged, and supported by a staff who understands the power of relationships. The staff helps students to grow and improve by addressing their academic, social, and emotional needs. Homewood is a place where students can change.

More information: www.hcpss.org/homewood/

Programs for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

The itinerant teachers of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing provide assessment as well as direct and indirect special education services to students with significant hearing losses and deafness who are enrolled in elementary, middle, and high schools. These services are also provided to students enrolled in Cedar Lane School, the Early Beginnings Program, and the Preschool-Kindergarten Program. Preschool and school-age students enrolled in private and parochial schools also may be eligible for services.

Most students receive services in their home school from an itinerant teacher of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing along. An educational interpreter is provided, when appropriate. Some students are identified as needing intense services from a teacher for deaf and hard-of-hearing students because of having a cochlear implant or needing to develop a functional communication system such as American Sign Language (ASL). These students may be placed in a regional program that provides the needed services throughout the day.

Questions regarding services for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may be referred to the Itinerant Teachers of Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (410-313-7046), the Audiologist at the County Diagnostic Center (410-313-7046), or the Communications Facilitator for Speech, Language, and Hearing Services (410-313-6837).

Programs for Students with Visual Impairments

The vision program of the Howard County Public School System provides services to children from birth to 21 years of age who are identified as having a visual impairment including blindness (impairments in vision that adversely affect a child's educational performance). Eligibility for educational services is determined by the Individualized Education Program team based on educational and ophthalmological or optometric evaluations. Special education service is determined by the student's individualized education program (IEP) or individualized family service plan (IFSP). A referral to the IEP team may be made by a parent, teacher, doctor, or any service provider who suspects that a child may have a

Additional information is available from the Program Head for Vision Services (410-313-7022).

Cedar Lane School

Cedar Lane School is for students who have severe and profound cognitive challenges. For these students, Cedar Lane is the Least Restrictive environment. Students at Cedar Lane range in age from three to 21.

More information: www.hcpss.org/cedarlane/

Transition Program

The Transition Program has been developed to assist students in their transition from high school into the world of work. It is designed for students who have completed four years of high school and at least one year of work experience. As part of the transition process, students in this program receive continued training in job seeking and keeping skills, attitudes and behaviors appropriated at work, and training in life skills. Work is the basis of the program so participants understand that they must work hard. It is during this time that the participants can make mistakes and still have the assistance of the teachers, and/or school personnel to intervene. This provides students with a safe environment in which to learn and practice the skills necessary for adult life.

Program Highlights

• Development of work/job skills
• Development of related supportive/functional academics
• Development of social and communication skills for job success
• Development of self-advocacy skills.

Program Components

• CASAS Assessment: The Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System is a life-skills assessment used in the program. This assessment system helps identify the areas in which a person has reached competency.
• Work Experience: This can be either work-study or enclave (supervised group work-site) experience.
• Authentic Instruction: Authentic instruction is community based instruction which allows students to develop life-skill competencies.
• Self-Advocacy: Self-Advocacy is the ability of an individual to speak to his or her own needs and to be able to ask for reasonable accommodations of instructors, services and/or employers in an appropriate manner. As person who is a self-advocate knows his or her strengths and needs and can seek assistance.

For more information or a copy of the brochure about The Howard County Public School System Transition Program, call 410-313-2899.

Home and Hospital Instruction

The Home and Hospital Teaching Program is designed to provide instructional continuity to students who are unable to attend their regular school of enrollment because they have a physical illness or disability, are in emotional crisis, or are awaiting a placement.

More information: www.hcpss.org/homehosp/

Disability Awareness Program

The purpose of the Disability Awareness Program is to foster an understanding of the abilities and needs of persons who have a disability. The primary target audiences are the students and staff members of the Howard County Public School System. The Howard County community is a secondary target audience. The program accomplishes its purpose through the following activities:

• Presentations by individuals with disabilities to students and school staff members
• Presentations to principals, Central Office staff members, and technical and administrative staff
• Development of a resource file of materials and equipment
• Ongoing development and utilization of a speakers' bureau comprised of individuals with disabilities
• Communication with other Howard County agencies, such as the Department of Recreation and Parks, Howard County Association for Retarded Citizens, and Citizen's Services.

Third-party Billing Program

Third Party Billing is the process for the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) for health related services, as well as service coordination (case management), provided by the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) or the Howard County Infants and Toddlers Program, for children with disabilities. Third Party Billing provides the HCPSS with an opportunity for increased funding to supplement programs and services for children with special education needs. Although all children are guaranteed a "free appropriate public education," Part B and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) explain that while education agencies are fiscally responsible for educational services, they are not the only agency fiscally responsible for related services. In addition, Public Law 100-360 authorizes the school system to seek reimbursement from all sources for health related services as long as there is no cost to the family.

Reimbursement

HCPSS can apply for reimbursement for services required by a child's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP). Services eligible for reimbursement include:

• Audiology
• Psychology services
• Nutrition services
• Service coordination/Case management
• Nursing services
• Social work services
• Occupational therapy
• Speech and language services
• Physical therapy
• Transportation

Parental Involvement

Parents or guardians are notified of Third Party Billing at an initial meeting during the IFSP or IEP development process. At that time, they are asked if their child is Medicaid-eligible. All Medicaid information is kept strictly confidential by the Third Party Billing Office.

For additional information call the Office of Special Education, 410-313-6749.