The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, also known as IDEA, is a government-implemented educational decree that addresses the concerns of learners experiencing disabilities and other difficulties. The act covers programs and activities executed by stakeholders to achieve the goals and objectives of IDEA.
These programs and activities include detection and prevention through early intervention, specialized curricula, and services that target the needs and concerns of learners with disabilities. The educational curricula are also structured under two plans directed by IDEA: the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and the Individualized Education Program. This article aims to compare these two plans to identify similarities and differences, as well as determine each plan’s capability to achieve the goals and objectives of IDEA.
The purpose of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is to involve family members in the early intervention process. Its aim is to identify disabilities and difficulties, and assist educational institutions and concerned public or private agencies in fostering the growth and development of children. Additionally, IFSP recognizes the needs and concerns of family members as they face setbacks and difficulties in caring for their children with disabilities (Bruder, 2000).
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) gathers all relevant information, including the child’s rate of development in all aspects of growth and maturity, the family’s concerns regarding options and priorities in caring for their child with disabilities, available resources for the family, expected outcomes including guidelines, standards, and other conditions that the child and their family should accomplish throughout the process. Additionally, it includes approaches and techniques for early intervention procedures; specifies where needs and services will be provided to the child and their family; outlines a timetable for the entire process; identifies who will implement and manage the plan – whether it be an individual, group or organization – as well as any necessities to foster future integration into requisite educational services. (Bruder, 2000)
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is designed to be implemented from the child’s birth up to their third year. The IFSP contains important information about the child, making it easily accessible and retrievable. This plan guides families and partner service providers in determining the necessary steps to achieve expected outcomes for both the child and their family. Families and service providers may consider coordinating with stakeholders, government service providers who implement IDEA, as well as other private groups that support children with disabilities during this process. (Birth to Three, 2006)
Moreover, families should closely look into the formulation and implementation of specialized instruction that will provide activities for children to achieve expected outcomes. Other required services include psychological, nutritional, cognitive, audiological, and physical services, as well as counseling and assistive therapies. The IFSP must be regularly reviewed and assessed to maintain its validity and reliability in meeting the specific needs of the child and their family. (Birth to Three, 2008)
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a specialized plan formulated to meet the basic requisites of a child who needs special education. Children who require an IEP should have been diagnosed by medical and healthcare professionals as having disabilities that necessitate engagement with a special education program.
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is created by a team of stakeholders, which includes parents or families, general education teachers, special education teachers, assessment professionals who can identify and recommend suitable programs for the child’s background, educational professionals with in-depth knowledge about special education and required resources, individuals who can provide specialized program resources or activities, and professionals who will be working with the child during the transition phase. (Baumel, 2008)
The plan’s content includes the child’s educational abilities and performance, such as cognitive skills, language skills, behavior, thinking style, and social skills. It also outlines measurable and realistic goals that the child must achieve within a specific period before transitioning. Additionally, it specifies specialized programs or activities that the child is expected to participate in to achieve special education goals and objectives under IDEA guidelines (Baumel, 2008).
After discussing the purpose and content of both IFSP and IEP, it is possible to perceive their similarities and differences. In order to examine this matter more closely, a comprehensive representation will be used to thoroughly compare and contrast the IFSP and IEP. (Clark, 2007)
The purpose of both IFSP and IEP is similar, as well as the direction in which their plans are going. The nature of their goals and objectives is also comparable, along with the involvement of stakeholders – especially families – educational institutions, government agencies, and other concerned public or private organizations.
On the other hand, there are differences between the IFSP and the IEP. These differences lie in the specific content of the plan, age group targeted by the plan, target of the plan, kinds of services employed during the process, and setting or environment for early intervention and other participatory activities. The chart below will illustrate these similarities and differences between IFSP and IEP (Bruder, 2000).
Overall Content of Plan
- Reveals the child’s growth and development in all fields or domains.
- Reflects the needs, demands, interests, and choices of both the family and the child.
- Demonstrates the child’s educational development.
- Highlights the individual needs and demands of the child.
Timeframe for Achieving Expected Outcomes
- Expected outcomes to be achieved within 6 to 12 months.
- Expected outcomes to be achieved annually.
Types of Services
- Services aimed at meeting the needs and demands of both the child and family
- Social services, educational programs, and healthcare services
- Services focused on meeting the needs and demands of the child
- Special education services
Setting
- The setting is determined outside of a natural environment.
- The setting is determined outside of the typical classroom environment.
Purpose:
- Assisting children in transitioning to meet the expectations for integration into early childhood education.
- Providing specialized educational support for children with disabilities and difficulties.
Participants:
- Parents or families
- Service coordinator
- MDT representative
- School representative for financial resources
- Service providers
- Teacher
Focus.
- To ensure that the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) reflects the needs and concerns of families.
- To build a plan that suits the capabilities and deficiencies of both the family and child.
- To ensure that the Individualized Education Program (IEP) informs parents or families about their child’s placement in specialized programs or activities.
- The IEP emphasizes that parents or families should work closely with organizations or institutions concerned with their child.
Although the IFSP and IEP present many differences in their content, they complement each other in terms of providing services needed by children with disabilities and difficulties. It is not rational to view both the IFSP and the IEP as separate programs of IDEA because these plans have the same purpose and end up with similar outcomes – addressing the needs and demands of children and their families.
The IFSP and IEP share a common goal of addressing the needs of the child or family by creating a plan that utilizes services or programs to meet the identified requirements. This plan aims to integrate the child into general early childhood programs or provide special education if necessary. If after their third year, it is determined that the child requires special education, an IEP can serve as an option for the IFSP.
Therefore, the differences between the IFSP and IEP determine what is best for the child and their family in order for IDEA to achieve its goal of facilitating learning that is suitable for the child. Additionally, their similarities reinforce their importance in promoting IDEA’s mission and vision.
References:
- Baumel, J. (2008). What is an IEP?” Retrieved September 11, 2008, from the GreatSchools Inc. website: http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/978
- Birth to Three. (2006). “Individualized Family Service Plan.” Retrieved September 11, 2008, from the Birth to Three System website: http://www.birth23.org/Families/Form%203-1-IFSP.pdf
- Birth to Three. (2008). “What is an IFSP?” Retrieved September 11, 2008, from the Birth to Three System website: http://www.birth23.org/Families/IFSP.asp
- Bruder, M.B. (2000). “The Individual Family Service Plan.” Retrieved September 11, 2008, from End of Life Care website: http://endoflifecare.tripod.com/juvenilehuntingtonsdisease/id304.html
- Clark, S. (2007). “First Things First.” Retrieved September 11, 2008 from ESU website: http://www.esu1.org/currentnewsletter/FTFFeb07.pdf
