As used in this part 4, unless the context otherwise
requires:
(1) Administrative unit means a school district, a board of cooperative
services, a charter school network, a charter school collaborative, or the state
charter school institute that is providing educational services to exceptional
children and that is responsible for the local administration of the education of
exceptional children pursuant to article 20 of title 22.
(2) Carrier has the same meaning as set forth in section 10-16-102 (8).
(3) Certified early intervention service broker or broker means:
(a) Repealed.
(b) On and after July 1, 2024, a case management agency or an entity, as
those terms are defined in section 25.5-6-1702, that has entered into a contract
with the department to perform the duties and functions specified in section 26.5-3-408 in a particular defined service area. Notwithstanding section 27-10.5-104 (4),
if there is not a case management agency or an entity and the department is unable
to designate an organization to serve as the broker for a particular defined service
area, the department shall serve as the broker for the defined service area and may
contract directly with early intervention service providers to provide early
intervention services to eligible children in the defined service area.
(4) Child find means the program component of IDEA that requires states
to find, identify, locate, evaluate, and serve all children with disabilities, from birth
to twenty-one years of age. Child find includes:
(a) Part C child find, which is the program component of IDEA that requires
states to find, identify, locate, evaluate, and serve children from birth through two
years of age; and
(b) Part B child find, which is the program component of IDEA that requires
states to find, identify, locate, evaluate, and serve children from three to twenty-one years of age.
(5) Coordinated system of payment means the policies and procedures
developed by the department, in cooperation with the departments of education,
health care policy and financing, and public health and environment, and with the
division of insurance in the department of regulatory agencies, private health
insurance carriers, and certified early intervention service brokers, to ensure that
available public and private sources of funds to pay for early intervention services
for eligible children are accessed and utilized in an efficient manner.
(6) Defined service area, on and after July 1, 2024, means the geographical
area that a community-centered board serves as specified in the contract between
the community-centered board and the department.
(7) Repealed.
(8) Early intervention evaluations means evaluations conducted pursuant
to the early intervention program for infants and toddlers under part C of IDEA.
(9) Early intervention services means services as defined by the
department in accordance with part C that are authorized through an eligible child's
IFSP and are provided to families at no cost or through the application of a sliding
fee schedule. Early intervention services, as specified in an eligible child's IFSP,
qualify as meeting the standard for medically necessary services as used by private
health insurance and as used by public medical assistance, to the extent allowed
pursuant to section 25.5-1-124.
(10) Early intervention state plan means the state plan for a comprehensive
and coordinated system of early intervention services required pursuant to part C.
(11) Eligible child means an infant or toddler, from birth through two years
of age, who, as defined by the department in accordance with part C, has significant
delays in development or has a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a
high probability of resulting in significant delays in development or who is eligible
for services pursuant to section 27-10.5-102 (11)(c).
(12) Evaluation means:
(a) For the purposes of part C child find, the procedures used to determine a
child's initial and continuing eligibility for part C child find, including but not limited
to:
(I) Determining the status of the child in each of the developmental areas;
(II) Identifying the child's unique strengths and needs;
(III) Identifying any early intervention services that might serve the child's
needs; and
(IV) Identifying priorities and concerns of the family and any resources to
which the family has access.
(b) For the purposes of part B child find, the procedures used under IDEA for
children with disabilities to determine whether a child has a disability and the
nature and extent of special education and related services that the child will need.
(13) IDEA means the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
20 U.S.C. sec. 1400 et seq., as amended, and its implementing regulations, 34 CFR
part 300 and also 34 CFR part 303 as it pertains to child find.
(14) Individualized family service plan or IFSP means a written plan
developed pursuant to 20 U.S.C. sec. 1436, as amended, and 34 CFR 303.340, or
any successor regulation, that authorizes the provision of early intervention
services to an eligible child and the child's family. An IFSP serves as the
individualized plan, pursuant to section 27-10.5-102 (20)(c), for a child from birth
through two years of age.
(15) Infants and toddlers means children from birth through two years of
age.
(16) Multidisciplinary team means the involvement of two or more
disciplines or professions in the provision of integrated and coordinated services,
including evaluation and assessment activities defined in 34 CFR 303.321, or any
successor regulation, and development of the child's IFSP.
(17) Part B means the program component of IDEA that requires states to
find, identify, locate, evaluate, and serve children with disabilities from three to
twenty-one years of age.
(18) Part C means the early intervention program for infants and toddlers
who are eligible for services under part C of IDEA.
(19) Private health insurance means a health coverage plan, as defined in
section 10-16-102 (34), that is purchased by individuals or groups to provide, deliver,
arrange for, pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of health-care services, as
defined in section 10-16-102 (33), provided to a person entitled to receive benefits
or services under the health coverage plan.
(20) Public medical assistance means medical services that are provided
by the state through the Colorado Medical Assistance Act, articles 4 to 6 of title
25.5, or the Children's Basic Health Plan Act, article 8 of title 25.5, or other public
medical assistance funding sources to qualifying individuals.
(21) Qualified early intervention service provider or qualified provider
means a person or agency, as defined by the department by rule in accordance with
part C, who provides early intervention services or early intervention evaluations
and is listed on the registry of early intervention service providers pursuant to
section 26.5-3-408 (1). In the event of a shortage of qualified early intervention
evaluators, the department may contract with an administrative unit to conduct
early intervention evaluations if a contract is entered between the department and
the administrative unit, including written consent of the director of special
education, with conditions for conducting and completing the evaluations, including
identification of staff, costs for services, timelines for contract completion, and any
other contract elements.
(22) Service coordination means the activities carried out by a service
coordinator to coordinate evaluation and intake activities, assist, and enable an
eligible child and the eligible child's family to receive the rights, procedural
safeguards, and services that are authorized to be provided under part C.
(23) State interagency coordinating council means the council that is
established pursuant to part C and appointed by the governor to advise and assist
the lead agency designated or established under part C.