Early Intervention
Infants and ToddlersThe Department of Public Welfare, Office of Child Development is responsible for Pennsylvania's Early Intervention Program for eligible infants and toddlers. The County Mental Health/Mental Retardation Programs administer the early intervention programs locally. Information regarding mediation and due process hearings for infants and toddlers is available from the following sources:
County Mental Health/Mental Retardation ProgramsCounty mental health/mental retardation programs can also provide information regarding due process hearings. The address and telephone number for your county's mental health/mental retardation programs in your local telephone book. A listing of those offices can also be found at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Child/EarlyIntervention/003670016.htm.
IFSP FacilitationIFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan) Facilitation is a voluntary process that can be used when everyone agrees that having a neutral third party would help facilitate communication and the successful drafting of the student's IFSP. This process is not necessary for most IFSP meetings. It is most often considered when any of the participants feel that the issues at the IFSP meeting might create an impasse in the development of the IFSP.It is important to understand, however, that IFSP facilitators are not hearing officers and do not have the authority to make decisions for the parties. IFSP facilitators are not advocates for either party. They help the members of the IFSP team focus on the issues at hand during the IFSP meeting. The facilitator's role is to focus the dynamics of the meeting to ensure that the participants interact respectfully, that the perspectives of all the participants are heard, and that the participants focus on the issues and futures actions.
The IFSP Facilitation Procedure describes in detail the procedures followed at facilitated IFSP meetings. You can request IFSP facilitation by submitting the IFSP Facilitation Request Form. For more information, please call the Office for Dispute Resolution at 1-800-222-3353.Requests for mediation or due process should be directed to DPW or the county program. The DPW Due Process Form should be used when requesting due process for an infant/toddler, and the Mediation Request (formerly the ODR Request Form) for requesting mediation for an infant/toddler. The Special Education Dispute Resolution Manual outlines the procedures to be followed for due process and mediation. In addition, the Family's Introduction to Early Intervention in Pennsylvania has helpful information on early intervention services for infants/toddlers.
PreschoolersThe Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is responsible for programs and services for eligible preschool children. The Bureau of Special Education contracts services through mutually agreed upon written arrangements (MAWAs) with intermediate units, school districts, and other providers. Requests for mediation or due process may be directed to the educational agency providing services to the child or directly to ODR. The Mediation Request or the Due Process Complaint Notice (formerly combined on the ODR Request Form) should be used when requesting mediation or due process for a preschool child.
The Special Education Dispute Resolution Manual outlines the procedures to be followed for due process and mediation. In addition, the Family's Introduction to Early Intervention in Pennsylvania has helpful information on early intervention services for preschoolers.