How do outcomes/goals differ in the early intervention setting under IDEA?
Answer
Outcomes are going to be selected by the family as goals they want to see the child achieve within a specific timeframe, which is usually six months. The outcomes should reflect the child’s needs in a functional manner. Traditionally in clinic, we write medical goals that are very quantitative such as “A patient will walk 50 feet with minimal assistance using a walker or standard walker.” When we write outcomes on an IFSP, this needs to be very functional-based coming from the family. These should be written or verbalized by the family, not the practitioners or the service providers on the team. An example would be “Matt will feed himself dinner using a fork while sitting at the table or dinner table with his family.” This is an activity that the family would like to see their child do independently, but it should be verbalized in a means that is familiar to the family, not necessarily to the practitioners.
Alison Kreger is a clinical assistant professor of Physical Therapy at Wheeling Jesuit University. Her area of practice is pediatric physical therapy, including early intervention, assistive technology, and KinesioTaping. She continues to practice in the West Virginia Birth to Three program and as a consultant at Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center. She is board certified in pediatric physical therapy and as a KinesioTaping practitioner.
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