Part C Regulations

In my last post, I discussed how one might use social media to inform families and the field about potential policy changes.  Today, I'll talk about real policy changes that will have impacts on early intervention.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, was reauthorized in 2004, and the final regulations were just released in September of 2011.


Reviewing the Regulations
Many groups reviewed the proposed regulations.  In 2009, the IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinator's Association (ITCA), Part C Coordinators for many states, worked with the Division of Early Childhood of the Council of Exceptional Children (DEC) to produce joint comments.    The Early Intervention Family Alliance,  (EIFA), a group of family leaders (disclaimer--I am a Founding Board Member and Past President), submitted comments on the proposed regulations.  More information can also be found at the OSEP-funded National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center website.



Final Regulations
Now that the final regulations have been issued, groups have been busy reviewing the old regulations and comparing them to the final regulations.  DEC and ITCA  have created a new side-by-side  They also created a series of webinars to explain different parts of the regulations.  Robin McWilliams drafted a blog posting on it called Much Ado About Nothing.  The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), launched a new website, and created a video explaining the new regulations.


Opportunities to Learn More
OSEP will hold a meeting on November 16th as part of the DEC conference to brief attendees on the new regulations and help states to prepare for the necessary policy changes.  Since not everyone can get to Baltimore, the meeting will also be webcast--unfortunately even those seats are "sold out".  It is still important that Interagency Coordinating Council members, early intervention providers and family leaders learn about these policy changes and what it means for their states.  I encourage you to visit the websites mentioned in this post.