§ 2546. Interim services. 1. Early intervention services for an eligible child and the child's family may commence before the completion of the evaluation and assessment in sections twenty-five hundred forty-four and twenty-five hundred forty-five of this title, if the following conditions are met:

Terms Used In N.Y. Public Health Law 2546

  • approved: as used in this title shall mean a provider who is approved by the department in accordance with department regulations and has entered into an agreement with the department for the provision of evaluations, service coordination or early intervention services. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2550
  • Early intervention official: means an appropriate municipal official designated by the chief executive officer of a municipality and an appropriate designee of such official. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
  • Early intervention services: means developmental services that:

    (a) are provided under public supervision;

    (b) are selected in collaboration with the parents;

    (c) are designed to meet a child's developmental needs in any one or more of the following areas:

    (i) physical development, including vision and hearing,

    (ii) cognitive development,

    (iii) communication development,

    (iv) social or emotional development, or

    (v) adaptive development;

    (d) meet the coordinated standards and procedures;

    (e) are provided by qualified personnel;

    (f) are provided in conformity with an IFSP;

    (g) are, to the maximum extent appropriate, provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings where children without disabilities would participate;

    (h) include, as appropriate:

    (i) family training, counseling, home visits and parent support groups,

    (ii) special instruction,

    (iii) speech pathology and audiology,

    (iv) occupational therapy,

    (v) physical therapy,

    (vi) psychological services,

    (vii) case management services, hereafter referred to as service coordination services,

    (viii) medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes, subject to reasonable prior approval requirements for exceptionally expensive services, as prescribed by the commissioner,

    (ix) early identification, screening, and assessment services,

    (x) health services necessary to enable the infant or toddler to benefit from the other early intervention services,

    (xi) nursing services,

    (xii) nutrition services,

    (xiii) social work services,

    (xiv) vision services,

    (xv) assistive technology devices and assistive technology services,

    (xvi) transportation and related costs that are necessary to enable a child and the child's family to receive early intervention services, and

    (xvii) other appropriate services approved by the commissioner. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
  • Eligible child: means an infant or toddler from birth through age two who has a disability; provided, however, that any toddler with a disability who has been determined to be eligible for program services under § 4410 of the education law and:

    (i) who turns three years of age on or before the thirty-first day of August shall, if requested by the parent, be eligible to receive early intervention services contained in an IFSP until the first day of September of that calendar year; or

    (ii) who turns three years of age on or after the first day of September shall, if requested by the parent and if already receiving services pursuant to this title, be eligible to continue receiving such services until the second day of January of the following calendar year. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
  • Evaluation: means a multidisciplinary professional, objective assessment conducted by appropriately qualified personnel and conducted pursuant to section twenty-five hundred forty-four of this title to determine a child's eligibility under this title. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
  • IFSP: means the individualized family service plan adopted in accordance with section twenty-five hundred forty-five of this title. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
  • Service coordinator: means a person who:

    (a) meets the qualifications established in federal law and regulation and demonstrates knowledge and understanding of:

    (i) infants and toddlers who may be eligible for services under this title;

    (ii) principles of family-centered services;

    (iii) part H of the federal individuals with disabilities education act and its corresponding regulations;

    (iv) the nature and scope of services available under this title; and

    (v) the requirements for authorizing and paying for such services and other pertinent information;

    (b) is responsible for:

    (i) assisting eligible children and their families in gaining access to services listed on the IFSP;

    (ii) coordinating early intervention services with other services such as medical and health services provided to the child;

    (iii) coordinating the performance of evaluations and assessments;

    (iv) participating in the development, monitoring and evaluation of the IFSP;

    (v) assisting the parent in identifying available service providers;

    (vi) coordinating service delivery;

    (vii) informing the family of advocacy services;

    (viii) where appropriate, facilitating the transition of the child to other appropriate services; and

    (ix) assisting in resolving any disputes which may arise between the family and service providers, as necessary and appropriate; and

    (c) meets such other standards as are specified pursuant to section twenty-five hundred fifty-one of this title. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541

(a) Parental consent is obtained;

(b) An interim IFSP is developed that includes: (i) the name of a service coordinator who will be responsible for implementation of the interim IFSP and coordination with other agencies and persons; and (ii) the early intervention services that have been determined to be needed immediately by the child and the child's family; and

(c) The evaluation and assessment are completed within forty-five days from the date the early intervention official was first contacted regarding the child.

2. The costs that an approved provider of early intervention services incurs in providing such interim services shall be approved costs to the extent they are otherwise consistent with section twenty-five hundred fifty-five of this title.