The Family Infant & Toddler Program (FITP) has been an integral part of our son’s development through the interventions they brought to our family in our partnership. When I was asked if I would consider writing the story of our journey with FITP, I did not hesitate to answer.

Our story is not one I choose to portray melodramatically. We’ve all read those accounts and can feel empathy and sympathy for families in need of help. In retrospect, I choose to look at our story as a parade of angels; ones who have come into our lives because we insist on recognizing our son’s needs. We did not have our victories alone.

We began with FITP when we noticed our son was not staying on par with his peers at daycare. He was slow with motor skills development, speech, cognition, and spatial awareness. We contacted FITP on advice of a friend, and they responded quickly. The value of their visits did more than benefit him. They helped us to sort through our feelings of grief and to identify our focus on early intervention. I suppose this was our greatest gift from the FITP team: understanding the power of advocacy for our child.

We recognized specific developmental delays, voiced them as our concerns, and the team responded to help us with them. A relationship that had some growing pains, but we kept our focus on the benefactor. And boy did he show it!

We started off quickly with his IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan), and graduated into a Child Development Clinic (CDC) evaluation, where we got his diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. We made appointments with the OT, PT, and SLP. Did I mention a parade of angels? At this point it was more a parade of acronyms! We got our heads full as this all took center stage in our lives. We talked daily about our plan as parents, and we leaned on our team when we felt like things were slipping through our fingers, or getting too overwhelming. We even had times where things felt like they weren’t going fast enough. We blamed our team when results were needed to allow us to move forward. Our guilt and grief made us pretty ugly I’m sure, but our team was all about our boy. Services came to the house for him, to daycare for him, we met, we worked, measured, reviewed his progress, and watched him grow. We had meetings at our home, and care conferences at his pediatrician’s office. Our team, with therapists, doctors, and educators, all included. Everyone was present and involved. Thick and thin came to pass, and through it all we remained a team; a focused team. His strides have been remarkable, and have been noted by the many members of his extended family who marvel at his growth.

Now, you may wonder why I have been deliberate about omitting the names that would put faces on the players in our story. First, I think it is important for everyone in FITP to know that whether you were on our team or not, you helped us. No names needed. Our team was filled with special people who were motivated by our advocacy, or who provided their own voices to our cause. The people who came to our rescue were not hand picked by us through interview or our design. They were the folks on duty when we called for help. Like the fire department, or ambulance squad, you answered. Second, I think it is important to say we know of your value because in your absence, we feel a hole. Our boy has turned three, aged out of your services, and we have moved into a new world. A world that would benefit greatly by your example, and with any persistence, will. Anonymity in this acknowledgment preserves our new delicate relationship with a school system that now provides (or tries to provide) for our son. They cannot be our adversaries at the same time we place our boy in their care and services. Our advocacy has met their politics. To affect his outcome, we now (all) must fight for change in policy.

For us, as parents, and for you as members of this team (crusade), our quest is for developmental interventions with meaning for each child in time to support them on the steps to the schoolhouse on the first day of kindergarten. Our new experiences
with cafeteria style services (where you get what you want as long as it’s what is being served) contrasts sharply in your favor. Your strong work needs to spill forward, and that may be another day. But for now, we look back thankfully, to the people who shined the light on our path, and found promise in our boy; the center of our universe.

- S. J.’s Mom and Dad. ©

What is The Family, Infant, and Toddler Program (FITP)?

A statewide family-centered system of early intervention for children from birth to three who have or may have a condition leading to a delay in development.

All families with any question or concern about their child’s development are encouraged to contact FITP. See contact information for Chittenden County.

Other persons who work with children, e.g., doctors, child care providers, also refer children and their families to FITP.

What happens when I refer a child to FITP?

An FITP staff member will phone the child’s parents or guardians to learn more about the child and to schedule an initial interview with the family.

An initial interview with the family, during which FITP staff learn more about the child and family and discuss with the family evaluations of the child that would be helpful to complete.

Evaluations of the child, usually at home or at child care, to determine if the child has a measurable or observable delay which makes the child eligible for services.

An eligibility meeting with the family to discuss the evaluations, and, if the child is eligible for services, to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for the child and family. If the child is not eligible for services, the meeting focuses on other options for support, including helping the family to connect with other community services.

If the child is eligible, the family will have a service coordinator and services for the child, which may include some or all of the following: education and support, community resources, social work, developmental education, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medical evaluations, health services, vision services, audiology, psychological services and assistive technology. Services are primarily provided to children and their families in natural environments including their homes, childcare settings and community settings.

Who pays for FITP?

FITP is a national, federally mandated program available to all children and families who need it without cost to the individual children and their families.

Everyone pays for FITP through federal and state taxes.

But, in recent years, federal funds have not kept pace with need. See Tables and Challenges below.

How Many Children and Families Does FITP
Serve in Vermont?

........................Total Referrals.....New children......Total being served

7/1/05–6/30/06 .........1197 ................686 ....................640

7/1/06–6/30/07 .........1364 ................781 ....................734

7/1/07–2/2008 ............890 ................501 ....................758

Children served who have a diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum:

.......Year ...................Total

12/2/04–12/1/05 ...........36

12/2/05–12/1/06 ...........51

12/2/06–12/1/07 ...........73

What Research Tells Us About Early Intervention:

• It is likely to be more effective and less costly to create the right early childhood development conditions than to address problems at a later age. *

• Policy initiatives that promote supportive and rich learning opportunities for young children create a strong foundation for higher school achievement followed by greater productivity in the workplace and solid citizenship in the community. *

• Genes and experience shape the architecture of the developing brain. The active ingredient is the “serve and return” nature of children’s engagement in relationships with their parents and other caregivers in their family or community. *

• Brains are built over time. Brain architecture and developing abilities are built “from the bottom up” as simple circuits and skills over time serve as bridges to more advanced circuits and skills. *

• Toxic stress in early childhood can damage a developing brain and lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health. *

• Child development is a foundation for community development and economic development, as capable children mature into valuable human resources. *

• Substantial progress toward this goal can be achieved by assuring growth-promoting experiences both at home and in community-based settings, through a range of parent education, family support, early child care and education, preschool, and intervention services.*

(*The Science of Early Childhood Development – by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.)

Challenges All of Us Face:

• FITP is federally mandated and funded, yet the Bush Administration continues to insist on level funding for the Part C of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA.), from which FITP receives its federal funds. The state has tried to make up the rest but it is increasingly challenging to pay the costs for this program each year because federal funding is not keeping pace with the increasing number of children who need FITP services.

• In fiscal year 2006-2007, 55% of children enrolled in FITP were covered by Medicaid. FITP can be reimbursed for service coordination (case management) and services provided by our developmental educators. It has been increasingly challenging for families to qualify for Medicaid in recent years, lowering the amount of billable services for providers and revenue for our program. New increases in Dr. Dynosaur premiums for families is likely to cause more families to leave Medicaid and be left with no insurance.