Below is a timeline of updates released to the IDEA site’s IFSP application, complete with descriptions and screenshots of items affected by the update.
IFSP Updates to the IDEA Site
Below are a list of updates that have been rolled over to the IFSP application of the Iowa IDEA site.
E-Mail Address now required on Family Info Tab (Released August 2015):
The web IFSP now requires an email address be entered on the Family Info Tab.
Why is the email now required? During the focus groups held, providers stated it would be helpful if the program required the email address since they are now being asked to gather this information. Email addresses assist with the distribution and collection of the Early ACCESS Family Survey as well as provide a means for connecting with families if phone calls are not being returned.
What do you put in the field if the family doesn’t have an email address: Type noemail@ifsp.org in the email field if the family doesn’t have an email address. If the noemail@ifsp.org address is used then EA Liaisons and others will know that you attempted to gather the info, and family doesn’t have an email address.
Meeting Tab, PR Screening and Family Info Output Updates (Released April 2015):
- Meeting tab, Informed Clinical Opinion added to basis of eligibility code list
- PR Screening – Load and Print Old Screenings
- Family Info output – Foster Parent Confidential
On the Meeting tab in the Basis for Eligibility, when you click the lookup a new code, IC, Informed Clinical Opinion was added to the list of eligibility codes.
A “Load Old Screening(s)” button has been added towards the top of the page. For children that were previously referred to Early ACCESS, you can now view old pre-referral screenings (if completed) when a child is referred again to Early ACCESS. See the attached PR Screening guiding document.
On the Family Info tab, if the relationship is Foster parent in the child lives with section, then when the Family Information form is printed the foster parent information will not print.
Here is what how the Family Information Form (output) will look when printed. If a child lives with a foster parent, the foster parent’s name, address and phone will not print. Instead “confidential” will appear in those fields.
RIOT Update and E-Parts added to IFSP Application (Released December 2014):
Providers will now be able to select more than one method from the drop down list when choosing the different parts of RIOT used. A provider who did an eval/assess and used multiple RIOT methods in a developmental domain can select all methods used at one time if they occurred on the same date and same location. This change should save users of the web IFSP lots of time and greatly reduce the number of clicks when completing the Eval/Assess tab.
The IFSP will contain a new tab called E-Parts and it will be part of the Family Tab. The E-Parts tab gives service coordinators the ability to add providers to a child’s record so that the providers can have access to a child’s IFSP. E-Parts allow providers access to complete Eval/Assess information in the web IFSP, prior to being added as a service on the Services tab. Service coordinators no longer have to start a meeting and add providers as a service on the Services tab. For example, the service coordinator can add the physical therapist that is going to conduct the fine and gross motor sections of the Eval/Assess prior to starting a meeting. Once the physical therapist is added as an E-Parts, the child will show up on the physical therapist’s child list.
Service End Reason PDS (Repleased December 2014):
If service end reason is PDS and the First Delivery has not been entered, it will not be required by the Incomplete Data Report (IDR).
November 2014 Updates (Meeting tab, Additional Forms, etc):
Meeting Tab: “Plan end date” updated to “Next IFSP Meeting Due Date”.
Additional Forms: When service information is inserted into PWN via the ‘add to PWN’ checkbox on the services tab, the wording has been updated to ‘service is projected to begin on’.
Outcome Progress: Button added to the top of Outcomes Screen. 
Exit: When exiting, the exit screen will automatically go back to Child IFSP overview screen.
Expand Fields: Expandable arrows have been added to larger text fields so you can view more text.
IFSP Deletion (Released October 2014):
You can only delete an IFSP if the status code is blank (which would indicate a new IFSP has been started but not yet submitted).
Jump to Tab Function (Released September 2014):
From the IFSP Overview, you can jump to specific tabs with the Jump to Tab drop down menu (shown below).
