Education Support

Basic Description
If a child’s evaluation shows they are eligible for Early Intervention, the next step is to create an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The IFSP is a detailed summary of the support that a child and family will receive and how those services will be provided.

The IFSP describes the services that a child and family will receive through Early Intervention, as well as other services or support that a child and family may receive outside of the Early Intervention program.

What It Does
The IFSP is a roadmap for a child in Early Intervention. It describes what services they should receive and the family’s goals for the child’s development. The IFSP focuses on all that a family needs to best support their child’s early development.

What Law Applies
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)This is a federal special education law for children with disabilities.

Who is Eligible?
To get an ISFP, there are a few requirements. A child must:

1. be under the age of 3
2. meet criteria for a developmental delay in one or more areas, or
3. have an automatically qualifying diagnosis

Who Creates It
The IFSP team, including the parents or caregivers and related EI service providers who work with the child and will ensure the plan is put into action.

Basic Description
If children are having a hard time in school, you may hear the term IEP. It stands for Individualized Education Program. IEPs support children aged 3 to 21. An IEP describes all of the special education instruction, support and services that a child needs to be successful in school. IEPs are part of the PreK-12 public education system and are not available in private schools.

What It Does
Provides individualized special education and related services to meet a child’s unique needs. These services are provided at no cost to families and take place during the school day at your child’s Jefferson County Public School.

What Law Applies
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is a federal special education law for children with disabilities.

Who is Eligible?
IEPs apply to children aged 3 and older. To get an IEP, there are two requirements:

1. A child has one or more of the 13 disabilities listed in IDEA. The law lists specific challenges, like learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and others.
2. The disability must impact the child’s educational performance and/or ability to learn and benefit from education. The child must need specialized instruction to make progress in school.

Who Creates It
The IEP team, including the parents or caregivers and related service providers who work with the child, determines the goals.

Basic Description
For children who need additional support in public school, 504 plans can help. A 504 plan makes changes at school so that a child is better able to learn. Some people confuse 504 plans with special education but they are not the same. Special education is special teaching and instruction for children who need more than what is offered in a typical classroom. A 504 plan is about making sure the classroom fits the way that your child learns. A 504 plan may make changes – or accommodations – at the child’s school to better support their learning. These accommodations could include extra time on tests, audiobooks for reading challenges, a keyboard to support handwriting challenges, or other supports. A 504 is a written plan for students grades K-12.

What It Does
Provides services and changes to the learning environment to enable students to learn alongside their peers. As with an IEP, a 504 plan is provided at no cost to families.

What Law Applies
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This is a federal civil rights law to stop discrimination against people with disabilities.

Who is Eligible?
To get a 504 plan, there are two requirements:

1. A child has any disability. Section 504 covers a wide range of different struggles in school.
2. The disability must interfere with the child’s ability to learn in a general education classroom.

Who Creates It
A 504 plan is created by a team of people who are familiar with the child and who understand the evaluation data and special services options. This might include the parent or caregiver, teachers, and principal.

Jeffco Public Schools has information on their website to help families navigate the special education system. You can also call the JPS Special Education Community Support Line at 303-982-6682.