Summit DD’s Early Intervention (EI) services are provided by a team of professionals committed to meeting the individual needs of your child and family.
Your EI Team at Summit DD consists of
the parent/caregiver, Service Coordinator (SC), Developmental Specialists (DS), a Physical Therapist (PT), an Occupational Therapist (OT), a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), Vision Services, and Hearing Services or other approved Early Intervention service providers.
A Primary Service Provider (PSP) is assigned within the teaming process. The PSP will meet regularly with you to aid in determining concerns and priorities for your child and family. The PSP also works to develop outcomes and strategies that can be used during everyday routines and activities. Those outcomes and strategies drive the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
Below is a handy guide to help you understand the roles of the different experts that could be part of your family’s team:
What Are the Roles of an Early Intervention Team?
Service Coordinator (SC)
A Service Coordinator (SC) is the first point of contact for Early Intervention services. The SC completes the intake visit, schedules the developmental evaluation and assessment, writes the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), refers for necessary services, and monitors the IFSP to ensure EI services are being delivered per the plan.
Primary Service Provider (PSP)
A Primary Service Provider (PSP) is an EI Services team member who will be the family’s primary contact for EI Services. This means that while there may be more than one service listed, the PSP is the person that will see the family most often. The PSP is selected by the team based on the needs of the child receiving EI Services and works with the team to deliver services based on the IFSP.
Developmental Specialist (DS)
A Developmental Specialist (DS) is an expert in typical and atypical development of children birth through age 5. A DS is often assigned when a child has a delay in more than one developmental area (adaptive, motor, communication, vision, hearing, medical).
Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
Speech/Language Pathologists are experts in expressive and receptive communication, what children say or sign and what children understand.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
Occupational Therapists (OT) are experts in fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, sensory processing, lip and tongue ties and feeding issues.
Physical Therapist (PT)
Physical Therapists (PT) are experts in gross motor skills focusing on mobility such as rolling, crawling, walking and climbing.
Vision Services
An Early Intervention Vision Specialist is an expert in visual impairments providing strategies, resources, and education to families specific to their child’s visual impairment and how it may be affecting his/her development.
Hearing Services
An Early Intervention Hearing Specialist is an expert in hearing impairments or hearing loss providing strategies, resources and education to families specific to their child’s hearing impairment and how it may be affecting his/her development.
