The Exceptional Family Member Program is a mandatory enrollment program administered by the medical community that works with key community agencies to identify active duty sponsors who have family members with special educational or medical needs.

One goal is to protect the Federal entitlements and military benefits of family members as they move around the world with their active duty sponsors.

Air Force Personnel Center Assignments, Procedures and Programs also coordinates reassignments for active duty sponsors when family members’ needs cannot be met in the current location.

An Exceptional Family Member is a family member enrolled is the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System who has a diagnosed physical, intellectual, or emotional-psychological condition that requires ongoing specialized medical or educational services.

Active duty sponsors must enroll in the program when one or more of the Department of Defense criteria are met in a family member or dependent in accordance with AFI 36-2110, Assignments.

Airmen and Family Readiness Center relocation coordinators may also offer supportive services to Guardians, Reservists, Guardsmen and DoD civilians, but they do not enroll families in the program.

EFMP-M is the process that documents and evaluates the medical and educational needs of family members to advise families and Air Force Personnel Center on the appropriateness of family member travel. In the Air Force, all families with one or more family member(s) with special needs must participate in the EFMP-M review process before any government-funded Permanent Change of Station travel is authorized. This applies to relocations within the continental United States, or CONUS, or outside the continental United States. Additionally, the Air Force complies with DoDI 1315.19, and screens all family members requesting government-funded travel to an area OCONUS.

The EFMP-M office at the losing military treatment facility gathers and may forward documented family member needs to the gaining installation’s MTF or other review authority. This decision is made by the senior medical authorities at the sponsor’s assigned base, and is determined by the type of care that will likely be needed. The EFMP-M office at the new location evaluates the needs in light of resources available and makes recommendations to the losing MTF and shares them with the family.

EFMP-M protects sensitive information while also consulting with education authorities, TRICARE, host-nation resources, housing offices and others, as needed. Travel recommendations are submitted to the sponsor’s Military Personnel Section, where the final decisions are made regarding government-funded travel. Orders are processed based on AFI 36-3020, Family Member Travel, and other Air Force instructions.

• To assess, document and transmit information about special education and medical needs of all family members planning to move at the government’s expense. These needs include specialized medical care, medications, equipment, or any early intervention or related services required or recommended for a child, typically specified on an Individualized Family Service Plan or Individual Education Program.
• To enhance facility and program accessibility for individuals with disabilities or other medical requirements.
• To assist Air Force Personnel Center in assigning sponsors to areas where family members’ medical and/or special education needs can be accommodated, provided there are valid manning requirements for the Airman or Guardian's grades and specialties.
• To enable Air Force civilians to inform Department of Defense Dependent Schools of the arrival of dependent children with special education and related service needs after they have been selected for a position OCONUS. More information about how the DoD implements Federal special education law may be found in DoDI 1342.12, Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible Dependents.
• To advise civilians, Reservists and others about potential limitations in available medical care in locations OCONUS.
• To protect family members’ Federal entitlements, benefits and medical safety through government-sponsored relocation around the world.

Family members of active duty Airmen, Guardians and civilian employees appointed to an overseas position, who meet one or more of the following criteria, will be identified as family members with special medical needs:

• Potentially life-threatening conditions and/or chronic medical or physical conditions, to include, but not limited to, high-risk newborns, patients with a diagnosis of cancer within the last five years, sickle cell disease or insulin-dependent diabetes, requiring follow-up support more than once a year, or specialty care.
• Current and chronic, duration of six months or longer, mental health condition, such as, but not limited to, bipolar, conduct, major affective or thought or personality disorders; inpatient or intensive outpatient mental health service within the last five years; intensive, greater than one visit monthly for more than six months, mental health services required at the present time. This includes medical care from any provider, including a primary health care provider.
• A diagnosis of asthma or other respiratory-related diagnosis with chronic recurring wheezing that meets one of the following criteria:
  • Scheduled use of inhaled and anti-inflammatory agents and/or bronchodilators.
  • History of emergency room use or clinic visits for acute asthma exacerbations within the last year.
  • History of one or more hospitalizations for asthma within the past five years.
  • History of intensive care admissions for asthma within the past five years.
• A diagnosis of attention deficit disorder / attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that meets one of the following criteria:
  • A comorbid psychological diagnosis.
  • Requires multiple medications, psycho pharmaceuticals, other than stimulants, or does not respond to a normal dose of medication. Requires management and treatment by mental health provider (e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker).
  • Requires specialty consultant, other than a family practice physician or general medical officer, more than twice a year on a chronic basis.
  • Requires modification of the educational curriculum or the use of behavioral management staff.
• Requires adaptive equipment, such as apnea home monitor, home nebulizer, wheelchair, splints, braces, orthotics, hearing aids, home oxygen therapy, home ventilator, etc.
• Requires assistive technology devices such as communication devices or services.
• Requires environmental / architectural considerations such as limited number of steps, wheelchair accessibility or housing modifications and air conditioning.

Exceptional Family Member Program enrollment is mandatory for active duty sponsors and can be initiated in several ways:

• The screening process can be set in motion during routine medical care appointments or by referral from the school or key community personnel.
• Screening occurs during in-, out- and reassignment processing if sponsors indicate that they have or suspect they have an EFM.
• All family members must be screened before approval of command sponsorship for locations OCONUS.

As soon as a condition is identified, active duty sponsors must contact the nearest Air Force military treatment facility to talk with the EFMP-Medical staff, who will provide the necessary forms with instructions on having them completed by a medical practitioner or educational authority.

Special Needs Coordinators are the points of contact for initiating enrollment in the EFMP. SNCs are clinical officers or civilian equivalents, and may be reached through the EFMP-M office in the MTF. SNCs evaluate medical and/or educational information but do not release the family member’s health or educational information to AFPC when initiating EFMP enrollment. Additionally, they assist in linking families with medical care after they arrive at the new duty location.

If the family member’s condition(s) meet enrollment criteria, an assignment limitation code (“Q”) is entered in the active duty sponsor’s electronic personnel record. The sponsor is then known as “Q-coded,” and medical and educational authorities can now consider special needs when sponsors are projected for assignments.

Airmen or Guardians enrolled in EFMP are responsible for keeping their EFMP-M medical and/or special education documentation current, and for notifying the EFMP-M office of any changes in their family member’s needs or their contact information. A review is required as the EFM’s condition changes or within six months of family travel or a PCS move.

Enrollment in EFMP remains in effect until the medical or special education needs no longer meet criteria, until the Airman or Guardian is separated from active duty, or until the family member is no longer a military dependent. Disenrollment, or removal of the Q-code, is accomplished by presenting the SNC at the MTF with documentation that indicates one or more of these provisions have been met.

Sponsors who are enrolled are still subject to worldwide assignment, temporary duty, deployment, and like any other Airman or Guardian, may be called upon to serve an unaccompanied tour.

Forward completed DD Form 2792 and DD Form 2792-1, if applicable, with any supporting attachments to the Exceptional Family Member Program-Medical office in the military treatment facility at the base or location where the sponsor’s personnel functions are handled.

These enrollment forms are:

• DD Form 2792, Exceptional Family Member Medical Summary, for medical issues only
• DD Form 2792-1, Exceptional Family Member Special Education/Early Intervention Summary, for educational issues
• AF Form 1466
• AF Form 1466D
• AF Form 4380

Sponsors not previously Q-coded will be provided an AF Form 4380, Special Needs Screener, when notified of a prospective assignment.

• It is important that sponsors accurately report needs of family members on this form in a timely manner to allow the full review of any potential health or special education conditions by the military treatment facility at the sponsor’s current base.
• Submitting this form early in the relocation process helps to expedite the issuance of orders.

When a Q-coded sponsor is identified for reassignment, or when any active duty Air Force family is projected for OCONUS relocation, the Family Member Relocation Clearance process is initiated as soon as possible after the projected assignment notification.

• The sponsor must complete AF Form 1466, Request for Family Member’s Medical and Educational Clearance for Travel.
• The sponsor lists all family members, specifying which are requesting accompanied travel and which are not.
• The sponsor is also required to report any known conditions on AF Form 1466.

Failure to report known conditions before relocation may result in subsequent administrative action and/or Early Return of Dependents, so it is important for the Airman or Guardian to carefully consider family members’ needs when completing AF Form 4380 and AF Form 1466.

The FMRC Coordinator at the MTF Exceptional Family Member Program-Medical office reviews these forms and advises sponsors and families about any additional documentation needed to authorize travel. The FMRCC can also advise on procedures when sponsors and family members are geographically separated.

• The review authority ensures all available services meet U.S. standards for medical care and all Federal laws pertaining to special education entitlements.
• AF EFMP-M will not recommend travel for family members OCONUS where services do not exist to meet Department of Defense and Air Force standards, or to any location where obtaining the needed services would incur excessive costs or hardships on families.

As soon as an active duty sponsor is identified for a potential PCS, the Family Member Relocation Clearance process begins.

• STEP 1
  • If the sponsor is not previously Q-coded, it begins with AF Form 4380, Special Needs Screener.
  • If the sponsor is Q-coded, or if the proposed travel is for accompanied relocation to an OCONUS site, the sponsor must complete AF Form 1466 to initiate the FMRC process.
  • Orders will not be issued until the FMRC process is completed.
• STEP 2
  • If there are needs identified, or if travel is projected to an OCONUS location, the sponsor must first complete AF Form 1466, specifying which family members are requesting travel and what medical and/or educational concerns are already known.
  • The military treatment facility will conduct family member interviews and review records and data for all family members requesting travel.
  • Depending on the nature of the identified needs and the projected location, several different medical, educational and community resources may be consulted to ensure all needs can be met prior to travel.
• STEP 3
  • AF Form 1466D, Dental Health Summary, DD Form 2792, Family Member Medical Summary, and/or DD Form 2792-1, Special Education/Early Intervention Summary, may also be requested for each family member planning to travel, regardless of prior enrollment in Exceptional Family Member Program.
    • These forms must be completed by qualified medical and education personnel.
    • Using these forms, the gaining facility can review current medical and educational needs of family members to determine if they meet EFMP criteria, and to determine if relocation to the projected location is safe, appropriate, and recommended.
• STEP 4
  • Once the appropriate review authorities have been consulted, the losing base FMRC Coordinator documents the recommendations and advises the family further.
    • If travel is recommended, orders are issued; if travel is not recommended, additional steps are taken to determine if the sponsor wishes to go unaccompanied or to request a different assignment.
    • Sponsors are strongly cautioned against taking family members at their own expense to locations where medical or educational services are inadequate to support known needs because of the potential for financial hardships, excessive travel distances, language barriers, etc.
    • Willful violation of the clearance process may result in disciplinary action.

Command sponsorship may be granted to families who complete the requirements of the Family Member Relocation Clearance process and who are recommended for travel OCONUS. Having command-sponsored status is extremely important to families leaving CONUS.

• Without command sponsorship, family members may not have TRICARE Prime status, and may only have space-available access to military treatment facilities and DoDDs schools.
• Housing entitlements and base privileges may be limited, and the family must pay costs incurred to return to the United States and next duty station.

Sponsors are encouraged to seek legal and command advice before choosing to relocate family members OCONUS without command sponsorship. AFI 36-2110, Assignments, Attachment 20, provides additional important information about command sponsorship of family members during OCONUS relocation. Additionally, when family members are recommended not to travel with the sponsor to the projected assignment location, the sponsor has the option of requesting an Exceptional Family Member Program reassignment or deferment through the virtual Military Personnel Flight.

• This process can take 4-6 weeks to complete.
• This allows the HQ Air Force Personnel Center EFMP Reassignments Branch, located at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, the opportunity to find a location that meets both the AF manning requirement of the sponsor's career field, and the special needs of the family members.

AFI 36-2110, Attachment 25, Exceptional Family Member Program, provides more specific information about the EFMP reassignment program. Moreover, the vMPF provides more detailed instructions about the EFMP reassignment application process.

If sponsors have questions regarding the process, please contact the HQ AFPC Total Force Service Center at DSN 665-5000 or 210-565-0102; toll-free at 800-525-0102.

While civilian sponsors are not enrolled in Exceptional Family Member Program, the Family Member Relocation Clearance process is offered to Department of Defense civilians considering accompanied employment overseas. DoDI 1315.19 specifies DoD civilians may disclose the presence of family members with special needs before being relocated overseas at the government’s expense.

• Once special needs are disclosed, the FMRC process is available upon request to review the existing conditions and resources and to provide the family with information to assist relocation planning.
• The EFMP-Medical office uses the same forms and procedures to review medical and educational needs, but only provides information back to the family before travel.
• EFMP-M does not make any travel recommendations for DoD civilians, as the decision to move family members with special needs remains with the employee.

Employees should confirm that the necessary health insurance is in place to cover any costs of medical services before relocation overseas, and that the coverage extends to the intended location.

The Airman & Family Readiness Center and Exceptional Family Member Program-Family Support Coordinator are available to ensure each family receives comprehensive coordinated family support through the military and/or civilian community.

Relocation

A&FRCs provide incoming and outgoing relocation services to the Total Force, which includes civilian and contract employees who are relocating CONUS or OCONUS.

• A&FRC provides relocation information that includes medical and educational information, along with related community agency referrals, housing, employment, financial management, moving-with-children skills, and a number of PCS-related topics.
• One-on-one consultation is available to any Airman, Guardian, civilian, or military family member seeking information to support family members with special needs.

Support Groups

Families need information, as well as support and encouragement, so they can help their EFMs. Through educational meetings along with formal and informal discussions, families can share information, fears, hopes and plans with other families while learning from one another. If no local support group exists for a particular special need, the A&FRC may help facilitate and/or provide facilities and other resources to assist. Contact you EFMP-FS Coordinator for more information.

Military Child Education

Academic standards, promotion and/or graduation requirements, services for children with special needs, eligibility for sports and extracurricular activities, and procedures for transfer and acceptance of records vary greatly from state to state and district to district.

The School Liaison Officer serves as the primary point of contact for school-related matters, including special education preparation. Active duty personnel are encouraged to notify the A&FRC readiness Non-Commissioned Officer, School Liaison Officer, and school personnel of EFMs that may require additional support during deployment or extended TDY.

Recreation

Recreation activities offer many benefits to all individuals, regardless of age, gender, or special needs.

• Through enjoyable recreation activities, individuals with special needs can gain new skills, learn what behaviors are accepted and learn how to fit in as a member of a group. Sports, crafts, music, dance, clubs, hobbies and many other types of youth programs are offered through installation, school, and community agencies. All services may not be available in all locations.
• The A&FRC and Youth Programs provide assistance to ensure EFMs have access to installation recreation activities.

Respite Care Programs

The Air Force recognizes that parents with children with special needs need a break, and have partnered with Child Care Aware of America to create a respite child care program for military families. Respite Child Care is designed for active duty Airmen and Guardians who have children enrolled in EFMP and diagnosed with moderate or severe special needs. Respite child care is provided to eligible families at no cost to the family. Eligible families may receive up to 12 hours of respite care per month for each eligible child, up to 18 years old.

• Active duty Airmen or Guardians enrolled in EFMP Q-coded are eligible.
• Guard and/or Reserve Airmen or Guardians activated for at least 31 days are eligible.

Respite child care can be accessed through Child Care Aware.

Note: Families eligible to receive respite care at bases where EFMP Respite Care is available are not eligible for this program.

Community Enhancement Programs

Give Parents A Break. This program is intended to help reduce stresses due to the nature of military life: deployments, remote tours of duty, caring for family members with special needs, frequent moves, extended working hours, etc.

• Families may be referred to this program by Commanders, First Sergeants, Chaplains, medical professionals and A&FRC staff.
• Certificates are issued for a specified period of time and may be renewed.
• Child care is provided at most base child development centers and youth centers during specified periods.

Child Care For PCS Program. This program is intended to help relieve some of the stress felt by Air Force families in the process of a PCS move. AFAS will pay for 20 hours of child care, per child, in Air Force-certified Family Child Care homes on base or in Air Force-affiliated homes off base.

While the mission of Exceptional Family Member Program is to ensure appropriate active duty family relocation, additional assistance and referrals may be offered on the following topics.

Housing

Housing is a significant issue for families with special needs who require modified living spaces. Because military families relocate often, those with housing accommodation requirements often deal with the same issues each time they move. Families who have special housing requirements, such as handicapped accessibility, must inform the Special Needs Coordinator and/or EFMP-Family Support as early as possible in the relocation process. This information is transmitted to the gaining base as part of the Family Member Relocation Clearance process.

Special Education Services

Department of Defense Dependents Schools and Defense Domestic Elementary and Secondary School:

• DoDDS, DDESS, and the military Services want to provide appropriate special education services for eligible DoD dependents. DoDDS, DDESS, School Liaison Officers and EFMP-M work together to coordinate recommendations to military personnel systems to identify appropriate locations for students with special needs.

Learn more: Department of Defense Education Activity

Early Intervention Services

Infants or toddlers, birth to age 3, with special needs may be eligible for EIS. These are services designed to identify and treat a problem or developmental delay as early as possible. EIS is offered through a public or private agency and is provided in different settings, such as the child’s home or a neighborhood daycare center. EIS can range from integrating development-boosting activities into the activities of daily living for a toddler with some delays, to the implementation of multidisciplinary therapy program and parent assistance for an infant with significant disabilities.

To find out who can help in your area, contact the installation School Liaison Officer, EFMP-FS, SNC or local elementary school. When receiving EIS, a family will have an Individualized Family Service Plan.

Individualized Family Services Plan

The family and the service coordinator work with other professionals, as appropriate, to develop an IFSP. The IFSP is a whole family plan with the parents as the most important part of the IFSP team. Involvement of other team members will depend on the needs of the child and family. These other team members could come from several agencies and may include medical providers, therapists, child development specialists, social workers and others. The IFSP will describe the following:

• The child’s developmental levels.
• Family information, with parents’ concurrences, such as important religious or cultural practices, consideration of the needs of other siblings, who the extended caregivers are, etc.
• The major outcome(s) expected to be achieved for the child and family.
• The services the child will be receiving and when or where he or she will receive these services.
• The steps to be taken to support his or her transition to another program.

Older children, age 3 and older, who require ongoing special education services will have an IEP developed by the school.

Individualized Education Program

Every child in special education must have an IEP. An IEP is a written planning document for the special education student that is developed at a meeting held by the school at least once a year. It is the link between a child with disabilities and the type of special services he or she requires in order to benefit from a free, appropriate public education. Children who are home-schooled are equally entitled to special services where special needs are identified.

In developing an IEP, the school system and the parents should explore together the needs of the child, ways those needs can be met, and which educational needs have the highest priority. An appropriate education is individually designed for each child with disabilities by providing services required to meet those needs.

Any active duty Air Force sponsor that has a child with an IEP, or that has an IFSP, must be enrolled in EFMP.

TRICARE Extended Care Health Option provides financial and other assistance to beneficiaries who qualify based on specific disabilities. It offers an integrated set of services and supplies beyond the basic TRICARE program used by military families. To be eligible, you must register for TRICARE ECHO and be enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program. This requirement is waived for Service members who are not offered EFMP enrollment. For the Air Force, enrollment requirements are waived for Guardsmen and Reservists, who remain eligible for ECHO in specified circumstances.

TRICARE ECHO provides benefits for the following products and services:

• Rehabilitative services.
• Training on how to use special education and assistive technology devices.
• Institutional care when a residential environment is required.
• Transportation to and from facilities.
• Assistive services, such as those from an interpreter or translator, for qualifying beneficiaries.
• Durable equipment, including maintenance.
• Expanded in-home medical services through TRICARE ECHO Home health care.
• ECHO respite care: 16 hours per month when receiving other authorized ECHO benefits.
• EHHC Respite care: up to 8 hours per day, five days per week if homebound.

Learn more: TRICARE Extended Care Health Option

Air Force Respite Care

Air Force Respite Child Care provides active duty, Guard and Reserve families up to 20 hours per month per child of free care. Sibling care is also available at no cost. Service is typically provided in the child’s home but is also available in child care centers or licensed Family Child Care homes. Providers are recruited, screened and trained to provide care for children with special needs.

Eligibility criteria:

• EFM children, birth through age 18, diagnosed with a moderate or severe special need.
• Typically developing siblings, birth through age 12.
• Airmen and Guardians stationed at participating Air Force location; geographical separations are eligible if child is located near a respite care site.
• Active duty Airmen and Guardians, including Guard and Reserve, if activated for at least 31 days.

Requests for exceptions to policy may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Child Care Aware will connect the Airman or Guardian's family and interested providers to the local partner agency. The agency will work individually with each family to complete the necessary application and assist with connecting the family to a local respite care provider who can meet their needs.

Air Force Wounded Warrior Program

This program provides individualized personal support to Airmen and Guardians who are ill or wounded in support of combat operations.

Easter Seals

Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for nearly 100 years. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals.

Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House Foundation donates “comfort homes” to allow family members to be close to a loved one during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center.

Parent Centers

Comprised of parent training and information centers and Community Parent Resource Centers, the Center for Parent Information & Resources provides training and assistance to families of children with disabilities. These are funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs under the individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Air Force families can find Parent Centers in their state by using an interactive map with contact information.

Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration has answers to questions about Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, and other monetary assistance programs. Families receiving SSI or other SSA-sponsored assistance must contact SSA before relocating to ensure continuity of benefits.

Military OneSource

This site is a central, trusted, up-to-date source for Service members and families to obtain information about all quality-of-life programs and services. Military OneSource has a team of highly qualified specialty consultants who specialize in the lifestyle of military families with special needs. The consultants can answer questions about family support, as well as questions about transitioning, post-secondary education, housing, moving, support for adults, and much more.

Virtual Military Personnel Flight

The virtual Military Personnel Flight is an online, easy-access resource where sponsors can obtain additional information about EFMP and other Air Force Personnel Center programs. Sponsors initiate the EFMP reassignment process via the vMPF.

Zero to Three

Zero to Three’s mission is to support the healthy development and well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families. The national, non-profit, multidisciplinary organization informs, educates, and supports adults who influence the lives of infants and toddlers.

Specialized Training of Military Parents

STOMP is the only National Parent Training and Information Center program for military families that provides support and advice to military parents regardless of the type of medical condition their child has. The STOMP Project hosts a LISTERV for military families and professionals to use to share ideas. This enables military families all over the world to connect, learn and help each other as they raise their children with special needs in military communities. Through STOMP, parents can learn about the resources available to them, and receive advice on educating their children and navigating the health care system. STOMP also offers workshops.

Armed Services YMCA

The Armed Services “Y” in your area provides access to emergency assistance support groups, counseling and transportation to medical appointments and therapeutic recreation outlets.

Special Care Organization Record

SCOR has multiple uses. It is designed as an organizing tool for families who have children with special health care needs. Use SCOR to keep track of information about your child’s health and care.

• How can SCOR help me? In caring for your child with special health needs, you may get information and paperwork from many sources. SCOR helps you organize the most important information in a central place. This makes it easier for you to find and share key information with others on your child’s care team.
• Use your SCOR to:
  • Track changes in your child’s medications or treatments.
  • List telephone numbers for health care providers and community organizations.
  • Prepare for appointments.
  • File information about your child’s health history.
  • Share new information with your child’s primary doctor, public health or school nurse, daycare staff and others.
  • Review the checklist prior to making a PCS move.

Assistive Technology Device, or Adaptive Equipment

Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, including, but not limited to, an apnea home monitor, home nebulizer, wheelchair, splints, braces, orthotics, hearing aids, home oxygen therapy or a home ventilator, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

Assistive Technology Services

Assistive technology services include any services that directly assist an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.

Case Study Committee

A case study committee is the school level team comprised of, among others, principals, educators, parents and related service providers who do the following:

• Oversee screening and referral of children who may acquire special education.
• Oversee the multidisciplinary evaluation of such children.
• Determine the eligibility of the student for special education and related services.
• Formulate an individualized education curriculum reflected in a individualized education program.
• Monitor the development, review and revising of the Individual Education Programs.

Developmental Delay

• A. A significant discrepancy in the actual functioning of an infant, toddler, or child, birth through age 5, when compared with the functioning of a non-disabled infant, toddler, or child of the same chronological age in any of the following areas: physical, cognitive, communication, social or emotional and adaptive development as measured using standardized evaluation instruments and confirmed by clinical observation and judgment.
• B. Developmental delay also included those with a high probability of developmental delay. An infant or toddler, birth through age 2, with a diagnosed physical or mental condition, such as chromosomal disorders or genetic syndromes, that places the infant or toddler at substantial risk of evidencing a developmental delay without the benefit of early intervention services.

Early Identification

Early identification is the implementation of a formal plan for identifying a disability or developmental delay as early as possible in a child’s life. Child Find activities are those in which community agencies work together to identify special needs in infants and toddlers.

Early Identification Services

Early identification services are those services provided pursuant to the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,” as amended, by the Military Medical Departments to infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, who are experiencing developmental delays or who have a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay.

Educational and Developmental Intervention Services

These are programs operated by the Military Medical Departments to provide EIS and related services in specific areas of the world as designated by Health Affairs. Airmen, Guardians and civilian employees’ families may receive EDIS from the Army, Navy, or Air Force depending on their locations.

Exceptional Family Member

A family member with any physical, emotional, developmental, educational, or psychological condition that meets the DoD criteria found in DoDI 1315.19, Enclosure 4.

Facility Determination Inquiry

An FDI is a complete package, to include AF Form 1466 and all other supporting forms and documents, that is sent forward for review to the gaining base military treatment facility. For more information, contact the local military treatment facility Exceptional Family Member Program-Medical Office.

Individual Education Program

The IEP is a written document developed by the Case Study Committee and contains input from parents and Related Service providers. It defines specially designed instructional goals for a student with special education service needs. Intensity, frequency, location and methodology of service delivery are specified.

Individualized Family Services Plan

The written document that ensures each eligible child and family has a plan for EIS to meet their unique needs through a collaborative partnership between the family and providers. Areas addressed include: cognitive, physical, social and emotional, communication and adaptive development.

Related Services

Related Services are supportive services provided by schools, communities, and the military medical departments to assist a child, age 3 through 21, who has a disability benefit from special education under the IEP. These include audiology, physical therapy, transportation and other services.

Respite Care

Respite Care is a program providing a temporary rest period for family members responsible for the regular care of people with disabilities. Care may be provided either in the respite care user’s home or a caregiver’s home.

Special Education

Special education is specialized instruction and related services for which a child, age 3 through 21, becomes entitled when a case study committee determines a child’s educational performance is adversely affected by one or more disabling conditions. Depending on their location, military families may be served either by the public school system or by the Department of Defense Education Activity and EDIS.