Early On^® Michigan Glossary
Download the Early On Michigan Glossary

Activities: The things a family does day-to-day or programs where children can play and learn with others.

Advocacy Organizations: Groups that can help families understand their rights. They can also speak or act on a family’s behalf.

Advocate: A person who speaks or acts on behalf of an issue or person.

Appeal: A request to have a situation or decision investigated at a higher level. A final decision is then made at that higher level.

Assistive Technology: Equipment or devices that help your child. They help your child increase, maintain, or improve what they can do.

Audiology Services: Services and ideas for a family so they can support their child’s hearing.

Authorization to Share Confidential Information: A form that says Early On can gather and share information about a family or child. The form must tell who can share what and with whom. Information cannot be gathered or shared until the form is signed by a parent.

Civil Action: A lawsuit filed in state or federal court.

Complaint: A claim that a law or a set of regulations has been violated. The claim would be about how Early On has failed to comply with the state and/or federal regulations that guide Early On.

Concerns: What a family worries about with their child’s growth and learning. It is what they would like Early On to work on to help their child and family.

Consent: Give permission. Obtaining a parent’s permission in writing (i.e. signature) before Early On starts or stops any activity that affects a child and family or before Early On shares information about a family or child.

Consent to Evaluate: A form that gives permission to Early On to evaluate a child. The form must tell what an evaluation is, how it will happen, and why. The evaluation cannot happen until the parent signs this form.

Destroyed: Permanent removal of all personally identifiable information from paperwork or files.

Development: The process of growing and learning.

Developmental Evaluation: A way to learn about a child’s growth and learning. It measures the areas of thinking, talking, hearing, seeing, moving, taking care of basic needs, and responding to others.

Developmental Delay: When a child’s rate of growth and learning is different from that of most children the same age.

Diagnostic Medical Services: Support and information given by a licensed physician. They help you decide if a child needs early intervention services.

Due Process Hearing: A formal process used to try to resolve disagreements. The hearing is conducted with a neutral person, the Hearing Officer, who listens to the evidence and arguments of the parents and the agencies and decides who is right and who must do what.

Early Childhood Education and Family Services: A division in the Michigan Department of Education. It specifically oversees programs for early childhood from birth to six years of age and Early On Michigan.

Early Intervention System: Includes any activities, supports, and services a baby or toddler may need to help with his or her growing and learning.

Early On: Michigan’s system of early intervention. It is not one single “program.” It’s a collection of activities, supports, services, and resources provided by many programs.

Early On Coordinator: A person in charge of Early On in a local county or counties.

Early On Record: All the papers and plans from your time in Early On. It is also all the information you gave and that was gathered from others.

Early On Team: A team that includes the parents and the service coordinator. It also includes people who provide services. Everyone will work together to support the growth and learning of a child.

Early On Your Family Has Rights Brochure: A document for families that explains their rights while working with Early On.

Eligible: When a child qualifies to receive supports and services from Early On. To be eligible for Early On, your child must have a developmental delay, and/or a health issue that is likely to lead to a developmental delay.

Evaluation: A process to learn about a child’s growth and development. It is also used to find out if a child is eligible for Early On.

Family: A group of people close to you and your child. It could include parents, husband or wife, grandparents, in-laws, aunts and uncles, brothers or sisters, legal guardians, or friends.

Family Assessment: A process to let the family discuss their concerns, resources, and priorities to help them be better able to help the child grow and learn. It is up to the family to decide whether a family assessment is done.

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): A federal law protecting personally identifiable information that is held in a child’s education record.

Fully Informed: Having all of the information so that potential benefits, responsibilities, and consequences can be considered before making a decision.

 Health Issue: A medical issue or condition found by a doctor or nurse that is likely to lead to a developmental delay.

Hearing Officer: A trained, impartial person who helps resolve disagreements.

Individualized: It is about you and your child’s own life and needs. Every child and family is different.

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP): A written plan of action that guides everything a child and family will do while involved with Early On. It lists what activities, supports, and services are needed by the child and family.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The federal law that guides the education of children with disabilities. Part C of the IDEA law tells how each state needs to plan and provide their early intervention system. It also explains the rights families have.

Interim Individualized Family Service Plan (Interim IFSP): A temporary plan that is made when a child has immediate needs to be supported.

Intermediate School District (ISD): An education agency that helps oversee Early On and special education in local areas. ISDs are sometimes called RESDs or RESAs.

Mediation: An informal process with a neutral person, the mediator, who meets with the parents and the agencies to see if they can come to an agreement about resolving their dispute.

Mediator: A trained, impartial person who facilitates problem-solving.

Michigan Department of Education: The unit that oversees Early On in all intermediate and local school districts around Michigan. Early On funding comes through the Michigan Department of Education.

Multidisciplinary Evaluation: An evaluation to learn about your child’s growth and development. It is done by at least two people with different skills and training.

Native Language: The language or mode of communication typically used by a family.

Parent: Any person responsible for the care and well-being of a child. It could include birth parents, adoptive parents, single parents, guardians, grandparents, or foster parents.

Personally Identifiable Information: Information that includes, but is not limited to: the child’s name, name of the child’s parent or other family member, the address of the child or the child’s family, a personal identifier such as the parent or child’s social security number, a list of personal characteristics, or other information that would make the identity of the child or family reasonably certain.

Priorities: What a parent thinks is most important for their child and family.

Procedural Safeguards: Actions or guidelines that are in place to guard your rights.

PSS 340.0000(x): This is a reference to another document, the Early On Procedural Safeguard Standards. The Procedural SafeguardStandards contain the legal language about a family’s rights whenthey are involved with Early On. “PSS” means the document itself,“340” means that this is about Early On rights, and the remainingnumbers and letters help you find specific sections of the standards.

Public Agency Provider: A public agency that provides Early On services.

Referral: A recommendation to have a child evaluated for Early On. The referral starts the Early On process. It occurs because of a concern about a child’s development or health issue.

Resources: The people, places, relationships, supports, and services a family already has that could help their child.

Services: When a trained professional works directly with a child or helps a family learn how to support their child.

Service Coordinator: The family’s main contact in Early On. This person supports and assists the family the entire time they are in Early On. He or she knows about and has worked with children with developmental delays.

Supports: Help, resources, or information.

Support Groups: Groups who meet to support each other.

Surrogate Parent: A surrogate parent is a person who is appointed to represent the rights of a child eligible for Early On when the child’s natural parents cannot be found or when the natural parents have had their rights terminated.

Rights: Checks and balances that are built into the Early On system to assure that the Early On process happens as it is supposed to for children and families. Rights are the legal safeguards that a family is entitled to.

Transition: When a child and family leaves Early On to go to a new program, activity, or area.

Transition Conference: A meeting to plan your child’s transition.

Transition Plan: This plan lists the next steps. It also includes how the next steps will happen. If your child is leaving Early On at age three, this plan must be made at least 90 days before your child’s third birthday.

Written Prior Notice: Written information given to the parents to inform them ahead of time about a proposed action or change.

34 CFR 303.000(x): This is a reference to a section of the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that applies to Early On. “34 CFR” refers to the law itself, “303” means the section that applies to Early On (i.e. Part C of the law), and the remaining numbers and letters help you find specific sections of the law.