Upcoming classes IDS 5347, Typical and Atypical Development will be offered Summer 2008. If you are interested, please contact Emily Purvis Montford at epurvis@mailer.fsu.edu. You need to be enrolled with the University to take this course. It will be a 13 week course offered online. Sign up during your registration window.

Students interested in Early Intervention have two options at FSU. One is to complete the 3 courses for the Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS) Certificate. These courses cover the competencies required by the Florida Department of Health for those working in the field of early intervention. The requirements for the ITDS Certificate can be met at Florida State University by successfully completing the following graduate courses, each 3 semester hours:

• Infant/Toddler Typical and Atypical Development, IDS 5347
• Infant/Toddler and Family Assessment, IDS 5349
• Family Centered Early Intervention, IDS 5348

More information on this option can be found on the link to the right, ITDS coursework.

The second option is to complete these 3 courses, plus 9 other hours and earn an Early Childhood and Family Intervention Certificate from Florida State University. This provides a more in depth training regarding Early Intervention and includes field work in an inclusive preschool setting or the home. Students interested in this option can find out more information by looking at the links to the right under FSU Early Childhood and Family Intervention Certificate.

Tuition waivers and stipends are available from a U.S. Department of Education grant for qualified individuals who commit to completing the 3-course sequence to earn the ITDS Certificate or who commit to completing the FSU Early Childhood and Family Intervention Certificate in combination with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.

The Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS) Certificate prepares professionals to provide services to children birth to age 3 within the context of their families as an Infant/Toddler Developmental Specialist within Florida’s Early Steps Program. Florida’s Early Steps Program is part of Children’s Medical Services, Florida Department of Health. Florida’s Early Steps Program is set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C. The Early Steps Program is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, community-based, family-focused program that provides a coordinated system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with a developmental delay or an established condition which places the child at high risk for developmental disabilities. For more information about The Early Steps Program, please visit the website: http://www.cms-kids.com/Earlystepshome.htm

The ITDS Certificate is required for professionals wishing to function as an Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist in the Early Steps Program. An ITDS plays a unique role in the service delivery system. An ITDS typically will provide

• assistance to caregivers in the identification and utilization of opportunities to incorporate developmental intervention strategies into daily life activities that are natural and normal for the child and family;
• developmentally appropriate individualized skill training for infants and toddlers;
• support to foster, promote, and enhance child engagement in daily activities, functional independence, and social interaction; and
• continuous monitoring of child progress in the acquisition and mastery of functional skills to reduce or overcome limitations from disabilities or developmental delays.

The ITDS Certificate requires a Bachelors degree or higher from an accredited college or university in early childhood/special education, early childhood education, child and family development, family life specialist, communication sciences, psychology, social work, or an equivalent degree based on transcript review. With a degree, it is assumed that the individual has completed academic training that meets state-approved or state-recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements for the discipline. The ITDS Certificate may be earned in conjunction with a degree in one of the appropriate disciplines or after the degree has been awarded. The ITDS Certificate is awarded by the Florida Department of Health when someone who has completed the necessary training applies to be an ITDS service provider within the Early Steps Program.

The number of infants and toddlers and their families who could benefit from high quality early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in this country is significant. Between 1994 and 2001, the number of children receiving EI services under Part C increased more than 40%. In 2001, over 230,800 infants and toddlers were receiving services. In Florida, over 32,000 young children received early intervention services in 2002. Because of Florida's rapidly growing child population, as well as the effects of social and biological influences in the state and the nation as a whole, the need for services will continue.

As the need for early intervention services expands, the need for highly qualified professionals to provide effective services also grows. Professionals in the fields of nursing, psychology, social work, communication disorders, child development, early childhood education, audiology, and early childhood special education are sorely needed. Graduates of the interdisciplinary early interventionist personnel programs at Florida State University are prepared to provide effective and caring services to infants and toddlers within the context of their families. The importance of transdisciplinary collaboration, cultural sensitivity, providing services in natural environments, and promoting optimal child development within the context of the family are emphasized throughout the program activities.

An interdisciplinary faculty provide preservice and inservice training in early intervention in a variety of ways at FSU.