Service Coordination Under Part C

Early intervention Service coordination is an active, ongoing process that assists and enables families to access services and assures their rights and procedural safeguards and is a mandated service under Part C of IDEA, provided at no cost to families.

Within the parameters laid out in the IDEA Part C regulations under 34 CFR §303.34, states have much discretion in developing their service coordination system. States and communities have different approaches or models of service coordination.

Service coordinators may be:

Dedicated Service Provider:Service coordination is their only role.
Blended or Primary Service Provider: All of the professionals on the Early Intervention team might perform service coordination functions for assigned families, in addition to providing a specific service.

Service coordination caseloads vary according to the different models, and whether or not there are standards or maximum limits.

Integrating Health and Related Systems of Care

Young children with disabilities often have many medical issues and it is essential to link the care systems of early intervention, education and health. The medical philosophy and practice of family-centered care parallels family-centered practices in early intervention. There is also a parallel emphasis on care coordination and service coordination in order that families can easily access integrated services and community supports.

The National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home is a cooperative agreement between the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to promote family-centered medical homes for all children to ensure that all of a child's medical and non-medical needs are met.

Training Resources

Universal Online Part C EI Curriculum

Universal Online Part C EI Curriculum is an online early intervention curriculum, highlighting best practices in the early intervention process, that can be shared as a training tool or family resource for anyone.

Assuring Qualified Providers: Training Required for Certification or Enrollment in the Early Intervention Program

Several states have online courses or modules that are part of a credentialing or qualification process that is required for any provider in the Part C early intervention system. Other states have developed online training as part of a certification program for a personnel category often called Early Intervention Specialist, Infant and Toddler Specialist or Developmental Specialist.

Florida Early Steps Training include three orientation modules required for all Early Steps providers and Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist Training.
Missouri First Steps Training Modules are designed to give providers new to the program skills for working with families in their natural environment. In addition to a statement of beliefs and principles of the Early Intervention System, courses include Orientation, Evaluation and Assessment, and IFSP Outcomes in Natural Environments, Transition and a specialized module on Service Coordination. Select the First Steps Provider Training link from the list of e-learning courses.
Virginia Early Intervention eLearning Center provides online courses that are aligned with required competencies for all providers (including service coordinators) who want to practice as a certified provider in VA's Infant and Toddler Connection System. Requires registration and log in.

Online Inservice Training and Support

The following is a collection of online training materials that states are using in early intervention programs to provide inservice supports for EI providers. Some are specifically designed for a designated role (for example, service coordinators) but still have content that is applicable for all providers. Materials are varied in design and format, including competency based, self study and content to be delivered by trainers.

This website uses cookies