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Iowa's Early ACCESS Program
Linking Iowa families with services for young children
who have, or are at risk for, developmental disabilities
Summer 2001
When you put a family in touch with Iowa's Early ACCESS program, you link them to resources they can use to help their children grow and develop.
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Iowa ACCESS is
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a partnership between families with young children from birth to age 3 years and staff from the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa Department of Human Services, Iowa Child Health Specialty Clinics, and Iowa's Area Education Agencies.
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Iowa ACCESS serves
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children from birth through age 3 years, regardless of family income, who have a condition or disability that puts their development at risk, or a 25% delay in growth and development.
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When a family participates
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in the Early ACCESS program, they work with a service coordinator to determine eligibility and then to create an individualized family service plan, or IFSP.
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In the IFSP
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the family identifies concerns about and goals for their child's development, and then develops a plan to accomplish these goals.
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Early ACCESS
services include
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- Assistive technology
- Audiology
- IFSP creation
- Family training, counseling
- Health services
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Occupational therapy
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- Psychology
- Screenings, evaluations, and assessments
- Service coordination
- Social work
- Special instruction
- Speech language therapy
- Vision
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Free Early ACCESS services include
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- Service coordination
- Assessment to determine eligibility or identify family priorities
- Development and review of the IFSP
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Costs of other services
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are determined by factors unique to each child and family. Some services have sliding fees or are free. The service coordinator works with the family to identify costs and payment options.
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To contact your region's Early ACCESS coordinator:
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Phone your Area Education Agency, or call
Iowa COMPASS, 1-800-779-2001.
Ask for the phone number of your regional Early ACCESS coordinator.
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