Family Issues - Special Education/EFMP Exceptional Family Member Program The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is mandatory for all family members who have been identified with a special medical or educational need. Enrolling in the EFMP ensures that the family member's medical needs will be considered during the assignment coordination process. Children from Birth to Three Years of Age The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires all States and territories to provide early intervention services to children from birth to age three who are developmentally delayed, or who are at high risk of being developmentally delayed. Early intervention services may be provided by local school districts or health departments. There is no common name across States for the programs, but you may hear them referred to as Part C programs (because Part C is the section of the IDEA that pertains to early intervention). The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center provides a list of State Part C directors and funded programs at their web site. Military OneSource can identify local early intervention programs for you. Parents of children who receive early intervention services should hand-carry a copy of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) and most current evaluation reports to the new location. Children from 3 through 21 Years of Age The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires all States and Territories to provide special education services to children who are from 3 through 21 year of age. Each local school district has a special education director, and each school should have a case study committee or school based committee (terms differ) that attends to special education students' needs. Parents of children receiving special education and related services should hand-carry all pertinent school and medical documents to include their children's Individualized Education Program (IEP) and current testing and evaluation reports to the new school. The IDEA requires that if a child transfers to a district in the same state, the receiving school must provide comparable services to those in the child's IEP from the sending district's until the new school develops and implements a new IEP. If a child transfers to another State, the receiving district must provide comparable services to those in the child's IEP from the sending district until the receiving district completes an evaluation and creates a new IEP. Others who can help you: Parent Training and Information Centers Each state is home to at least one Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). PTIs serve families of children and young adults from birth to age 22 with all disabilities: physical, cognitive, emotional, and learning. They help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities; work to improve education results for all children; train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics; resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies; and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs. The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers provides addresses and phone number of the centers in your state. STOMP (Specialized Training of Military Parents) is a federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center established to assist military families who have children with special education or health needs. The staff of the STOMP Project are parents of children who have disabilities and have experience in raising their children in military communities and traveling with their spouses to different locations. Washington PAVE STOMP Project 6316 So. 12th St. Tacoma, WA 98465 253-565-2266 (v/tty) 1-800-5-PARENT (v/tty) Fax: 253-566-8052 Email Installation Special Needs Special Needs Identification and Assignment Coordination (SNIAC) The SNIAC process is a program specifically designed for active duty families to: Ensure availability of services for family members of active duty military personnel in the event of a PCS move. Assists families with relocation when a medical or special education condition exists and services are not available at the current or PCS location. Assist families in finding needed resources both on base and in the community. A medical special need means that the family member requires specialized medical care (urology, neurology, psychiatry, developmental pediatrics, etc.) for an ongoing, chronic illness. An educational special need means that a family member requires special educational services in order to progress academically. These services are identified in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan and may include resource rooms, psychological services, occupational or physical therapy, and/or adaptive equipment. Enrollment is mandatory for all active duty military personnel who have a family member with a special need. SNIAC personnel can help to ensure needed services will be available, on or off base, prior to a PCS move. They can also help with SNIAC reassignments and deferments. The Air Force ensures families with special needs are assigned to locations where required services are available. Family Member Relocation Clearance (FMRC) is a screening process used to identify special needs and determine the availability of services at projected locations. The SNIAC process does not affect who is eligible for PCS, TDY, or mobility. Enrollment will continue as long as a special need exists.