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First Steps Services

Services children may receive through Indiana's First Steps System include:

• Assistive Technology includes a variety of items, equipment, materials or services to increase, maintain or improve a child's functional capabilities. It may include adaptations to toys and learning materials that permit a child to be more successful in their play and developmental activities; evaluation and adaptation of currently used equipment; or evaluation and adaptation of a child's environment.
  
  
• Audiology/Hearing can identify if a child has a hearing loss, how significant the loss is and what it means to the child's ability to communicate and develop. Services may include training in specific ways of communication, fitting with and maintenance of hearing aids and insuring that the family can operate and care for hearing aids.
  
  
• Developmental Therapy / Special Instruction focuses on development and ways to promote development. This includes designing learning environments and activities to promote a child's cognitive, physical, communication, social/emotional and adaptive development.
  
  
• Family Education and Training assists families in understanding the special needs of their child and how to enhance their child's development.
  
  
• Health Services refers to medical care provided during the time a child is receiving early intervention services, so that the child will benefit from those services. This may include intermittent catheterization or tracheotomy care. It may also include helping the child's physician work with other early intervention providers concerning the special health needs of the child.
  
  
• Medical Services are provided for diagnostic purposes only to determine a child's developmental status and need for early intervention services, when eligibility cannot otherwise be determined.
  
  
• Nursing Services are individual interventions conducted with a child and/or family that support other early intervention services. This may include assessment of health status, and provision of care to prevent health problems, restore or improve functioning and promote optimal health and development.
  
  
• Nutrition Services focus on specific nutritional needs, including assessment and development of a nutrition plan and referral to appropriate community resources.
  
  
• Occupational Therapy (OT) focuses on developing skills related to sensory-motor integration, coordination of movement, fine motor skills, self-help skills (including feeding) and may include adaptive devices or equipment to help a child in these activities.
  
  
• Physical Therapy (PT) focuses on gross motor skills and helping a child develop the ability to move and effectively use his or her arms, legs, trunk and head.
  
  
• Psychological Services are concerned with a child's learning and social/emotional development. This may include psychological/developmental assessments, and planning and managing a program of psychological services that may include counseling the child and family and providing parent training and education programs specific to a child's developmental needs.
  
  
• Service Coordination (SC) ensures that a family is informed of their rights, opportunities and responsibilities within the First Steps program. They assist families in assuming an advocacy role for their child and assist families in developing, monitoring and revising the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) to include appropriate outcomes and services. Service Coordinators work with the family to identify and plan for transitions within and out of First Steps.
  
  
• Social Work Services support families by assisting them to resolve difficulties or concerns that interfere with or prevent their child from participating fully in early intervention services. Service may include family counseling and linking families with resources or other services in their community.
  
  
• Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)/ Speech Therapy focuses on receptive (understanding what is said) and expressive (being able to speak so that others can understand) communication. It may include sign language, augmentative communication devices or other assistive technology. SLP may also be involved with a child's feeding program.
  
  
• Transportation includes a family's travel costs so that their child can participate in early intervention evaluation and/or services.
  
  
• Vision Services include evaluation and assessment of a child's ability to see and services to enhance the vision-impaired child's ability to move about safely.
  
  
• Other Services are individualized services or supplies not covered elsewhere, which have been requested and justified by the IFSP team and receive prior approval from the state.

Additional Information

Learn how to start First Steps services.

Find out about the costs associated with First Steps services.