While intervention strategies require time to take hold, there should be steady, continuous progress observed in your child within 3 to 6 months from the start of intervention, and measurable results should show that intervention strategies remain effective for your child on a quarterly basis.
Quarterly and biannual team meetings with parents/guardians, therapists, social workers and teachers ensure that intervention efforts are coordinated and all professionals are working towards similar objectives for your child. Team meetings are also an opportunity to compare notes on therapies that are working and not working for your child, and ways to enhance your child’s intervention program when results show little to no progress.
What if My Child Is Not Making Progress According to Intervention Goals?
When intervention methods are proving ineffective for a child, strategies need to be reassessed, as well as the relationship of service provider to child. Intervention is a relationship, and is most successful when service providers are well matched to a child, and a child’s family.
When a child continuously resists or disengages with a provider, there is usually little to no progress seen in a child’s development. Likewise, when a child does not engage with a particular form of therapy, treatment or academic program, little improvement is seen. Changes in intervention services and providers should be made when little to no progress is observed within 3-6 months of the start of intervention.
If your child is receiving government-funded intervention through the NYC Department of Health or the NYC Department of Education, parents have the right to request a change in intervention program, special education services and/or service providers at any time by sending a letter to your Ongoing Service Coordinator, Committee on Pre-School Special Education or Committee on Special Education district representative.
Should you feel after substantial time and effort that government-funded intervention services have failed, you have the right to end intervention services for your child at any point by sending a letter to your Ongoing Service Coordinator, Committee on Pre-School Special Education or Committee on Special Education district representative. All services and/or special education instruction for your child will terminate within 10 calendar days of receipt of your written request, after which you will receive an official notice of termination for your records.
How Do I Get Help When Mandated Intervention Services Are Not Being Provided?
There are a high number of cases of children receiving government-funded intervention services in NYC; therefore, it is important to develop a good working relationship with your Ongoing Service Coordinator, Committee on Pre-School Special Education or Committee on Special Education district representative to ensure seamless delivery of intervention services for your child.
If your child is not receiving intervention services as mandated in their IFSP or IEP, you should call and email your assigned Ongoing Service Coordinator, Committee on Pre-School Special Education or Committee on Special Education district representative for assistance. Parents should receive a response within several days of a phone call or email.
If the NYC Department of Health is unable to provide services outlined in your child’s IFSP, parents should reach out to the Early Intervention Regional Office in their borough for assistance. In the case of the NYC Department of Education, if you do not receive a response or assistance from your Committee on Pre-School Special Education or Committee on Special Education district representative, you should email RelatedServices@schools.nyc.gov for help. (This inbox is managed by the Division of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners.)
If you have exhausted all of these avenues of communication and you still do not receive assistance on your case, then you should be issued a Related Service Authorization (RSA). An RSA allows you to find an independent service provider licensed with the NYC Departments of Health and Education at no cost to you. You should follow all provided instructions in the RSA to locate independent intervention service providers.
You may also seek out the support of a special needs advocate or attorney for help concerning your child’s IFSP or IEP should multiple communication attempts fail with case and district representatives.