The IFSP meeting is where your family and the Early Steps team agree on what your child will work on and which services will help. It can feel like a lot: new people, new terms and decisions about your child. A little preparation helps you walk in knowing what you want to say and what to ask. This prep sheet covers what to do before, during and after the meeting, including how to bring your child's private ABA goals into the conversation so the plans pull in the same direction. It follows the Early Steps Policy Handbook updated 14 October 2026.
What happens at an IFSP meeting?
For a newly eligible child, the initial IFSP meeting happens face to face within 45 calendar days of the referral (Policy 5.5.1). The team reviews the evaluation and assessment, writes down your family's concerns and priorities, agrees on outcomes, and lists the services, how often, where and when they start. Later meetings review progress at least every six months and rewrite the plan each year. If you are new to the plan itself, read our IFSP explainer first.
The meeting must be held "in settings and at times convenient to the family and in the native language of the family or other mode of communication used by the family, unless it is not feasible to do so" (Policy 5.2.1). If a time or place does not work, say so. If you want an interpreter, ask when the meeting is scheduled.
Before the meeting: a prep checklist
Think about daily life
- Walk through a typical day: waking, meals, dressing, play, errands, bath and bedtime. Note what goes well and what is hard.
- Pick two or three priorities for the next six months, in your own words. For example: "I want her to be able to tell me when she wants more food," or "I want trips to the store to be less stressful for him."
- Note what your child loves: toys, songs, people, activities. Good outcomes and strategies are built around these.
Gather documents
- Any diagnosis report, including an autism evaluation.
- Medical records relevant to development, hearing and vision results.
- Reports and current goals from private therapists, such as speech or ABA.
- A short list of questions (see below).
Decide who to bring
The initial IFSP meeting must include you, the service coordinator, a person involved in the evaluation, and service providers as appropriate. It may also include "Other family members, advocate(s), or person(s) outside the family, as requested by the parent(s)" (Policy 5.5.3). You can invite a partner, grandparent, babysitter, advocate or a private provider who knows your child, such as your child's BCBA. Tell your service coordinator ahead of time who is coming.
Questions to ask at the meeting
- What did the evaluation show in each area, and what are my child's strengths?
- How will we measure progress on each outcome, and when?
- Who will be our primary service provider, and how often will they come?
- Where will services happen: at home, at child care, or somewhere else?
- When will each service start? (Each must begin as soon as possible and within 30 days of my consent.)
- What should we practice between visits, and how will you coach us?
- How will you coordinate with my child's other therapists?
- Who do I call if something is not working?
- When is our next review, and what are the steps for the age-3 transition?
How do I line up private ABA goals with the IFSP?
Many autistic toddlers have both Early Steps services and private ABA (applied behavior analysis). The two can work well together when everyone is aiming at the same targets. When they are not aligned, a child may be taught different ways to ask for help or cope with a transition, which can be confusing. Here is how to bring them together:
- Bring the ABA treatment plan goals. Ask your BCBA for a one-page summary of current goals, the strategies used, and recent progress data, in plain language.
- Ask for private ABA to be listed. To the extent appropriate, the IFSP must "Identify any medical and additional supports that the child or family needs or is receiving through other sources" that Part C does not fund (Policy 5.3.8). Listing ABA puts it on the team's radar.
- Agree on shared words and strategies. If ABA is teaching your child to request with a sign or a picture, ask the Early Steps team to use the same one. If ABA uses a visual schedule for transitions, ask whether it fits the IFSP strategies.
- Sign releases where you want information shared. Early Steps and private providers need your written consent to share records with each other.
- Watch the total load. Toddlers need rest and play. Ask both teams to help plan a weekly schedule that is manageable for your child and family.
| IFSP outcome | Private ABA goal | |
|---|---|---|
| What the family wants | Maya will let us know what she wants at snack time | Maya will request preferred items using a picture card |
| Shared strategy | Family offers two snack choices with picture cards | RBT practices the same picture cards during play and snack |
| How progress is shared | Reviewed at the six-month IFSP review | BCBA shares data summary with the family before the review |
Our article on Early Steps and private ABA compares the two in more depth.
Your rights during the meeting
- Consent comes first: services start only after you give informed written consent (Policy 5.3.11 A).
- You can say no to a service: parents "may decline a service, after first accepting it, without jeopardizing other early intervention services" (Policy 5.3.11 C).
- Natural environments: the IFSP must explain why any service will not be provided in your child's natural environment (Policy 5.3.7).
- No cost to you: the handbook says parents are not charged out-of-pocket costs for Part C services. Insurance is billed only with your consent, and declining does not stop services.
- Disagreements: you have procedural safeguards, including mediation and complaints. Ask your service coordinator for the Summary of Procedural Safeguards.
After the meeting
- Expect a copy of the IFSP within 15 calendar days (Policy 5.1.5). Read it and check that what you agreed on is written down.
- Put the start date for each service and the next review on your calendar. The plan must be reviewed at least every six months, and you can ask for a review sooner (Policy 5.6.1).
- Share the relevant outcomes with your child's private providers, with your consent.
- If a service has not started within 30 days of your consent, contact your service coordinator.
Early Steps meetings are on a calendar: see the 45-day timeline and, closer to age 3, the turning 3 checklist.
How Hope Center can help
Hope Center's BCBAs write ABA programs that build on your family's priorities, and we train parents every week so skills carry into daily routines. Our staff can join IEP meetings, doctor visits and other appointments where allowed; ask your Early Steps service coordinator whether your child's BCBA can join the IFSP meeting by phone or in person. We have no waitlist and offer a free insurance benefits check. Contact us or call 561-337-8865 to talk about ABA alongside your child's IFSP.