Cross References

Safe place for newborns, see chapter 587D.

Shaken baby syndrome (prevention), see §321-33.

§321-351 Definitions. As used in this part, unless the context requires otherwise:

"Biological risk" means prenatal, perinatal, neonatal, or early developmental events suggestive of biological insults to the developing central nervous system which increase the probability of delayed development.

"Case management" means an ongoing service of shared responsibility between families and professionals that identifies needs and assists in obtaining coordinated, appropriate services and resources.

"Delayed development" means a significant delay in one or more of the following areas of development: cognition, speech, language, physical, motor, vision, hearing, psychosocial, or self-help skills.

"Department" means the department of health.

"Director" means the director of health.

"Early intervention services" means services which:

(1) Are provided under public supervision;

(2) Are provided at no cost, except where federal or state law provides for a system of payments by families, including a sliding fee schedule;

(3) Are designed to meet the developmental needs of infants and toddlers with special needs, which include but are not limited to physical development, cognitive development, and self-help skills;

(4) Are provided by qualified professional and paraprofessional personnel;

(5) Are provided in conformity with an individualized family support plan; and

(6) Include but are not limited to: family support, counseling, and home visits; special instruction; speech pathology and audiology; occupational therapy; physical therapy; psychological services; case management services; medical services only for diagnostic or evaluation purposes; early identification, screening, and assessment services; and health services necessary to enable the infant or toddler to benefit from the other early intervention services.

"Environmental risk" means physical, social, or economic factors which may limit development. Environmental risk includes, but is not limited to the following conditions:

(1) Birthweight between 1,500 and 2,500 grams, in combination with any other environmental risk factor;

(2) Parental age less than sixteen;

(3) Parental age between sixteen and eighteen and less than a high school education in combination with any other environmental risk factor;

(4) Any existing physical, developmental, emotional, or psychiatric disability in a primary caregiver;

(5) Presence of physical, developmental, emotional, or psychiatric disability in a sibling or any other family member in the home in combination with any other environmental risk factor;

(6) Abuse of any legal or illegal substance by a primary caregiver;

(7) Child abuse and neglect of target child or siblings;

(8) Economically disadvantaged family in combination with any other environmental risk factor;

(9) Single parent in combination with any other environmental risk factor; and

(10) Incarceration of a primary caregiver in combination with any other environmental risk factor.

"Individual family support plan" means a dynamic, voluntary plan of action and support developed by families and professionals that emanates from the families' expressions of needs and goals.

"Infants and toddlers with special needs" means infants and toddlers from birth to the age of three with delayed development, biological risk, or environmental risk. [L 1989, c 107, pt of §2]