Früherkennung und Frühförderung behinderter und von Behinderung bedrohter Kinder beantragen

• § 46 Neuntes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB IX) – Früherkennung und Frühförderung
• §§ 2 bis 7 Frühförderungsverordnung (FrühV)

Application for funding for interdisciplinary early detection and early intervention measures for children with disabilities or at risk of disability (complex early intervention services)

Early detection and early intervention are services for children with disabilities or at risk of disability who have not yet started school and their families. You can apply for these services with the support of your paediatrician or the Interdisciplinary Early Intervention and Early Counselling Centre (IFF).

The main task and aim of early intervention is to recognise an impending or existing disability at the earliest possible stage, to counteract impending disabilities, to compensate for or mitigate the effects of existing disabilities through targeted support and treatment measures and to advise affected families.

The costs of early detection and early intervention services are covered by the rehabilitation providers. Rehabilitation providers are the local social welfare organisation (in independent cities the city administration, in rural districts the district administration) and the statutory health insurance funds. For children with statutory health insurance, there are no costs for the parents.

What services are available?

Early detection and early intervention includes

• interdisciplinary initial, follow-up and final diagnosis,
• curative educational and medical-therapeutic assistance and
• counselling to support everyday life and cooperation with the legal guardians and caregivers of the children concerned.

The services can be provided from birth until the child starts school, regardless of the type of disability. The basis for this is a support and treatment plan.

Who offers the services?

The following centres offer early identification and early intervention services with different medical, therapeutic and curative education focuses:

• Interdisciplinary early intervention and early counselling centres (IFF):
  Interdisciplinary early intervention centres are services and facilities close to families and places of residence that serve the early identification, treatment and support of children. In interdisciplinary cooperation between qualified medical-therapeutic and curative education specialists, an impending or existing disability is recognised at the earliest possible stage and the disability is compensated for or alleviated through targeted support and treatment measures.
• Social Paediatric Centres (SPC)
  Social Paediatric Centres (SPC) are interdisciplinary facilities that are under permanent medical supervision. The early detection, diagnosis and treatment provided by the SPCs is aimed at children who cannot be treated by suitable doctors or suitable IFFs due to the type, severity or duration of their disability or impending disability. There are SPCs in Aue, Chemnitz, Dresden, Görlitz, Leipzig and Riesa.
• Audiological-phoniatric centre (APZ) in Chemnitz:
  Outpatient facility specifically for children with hearing and speech impairments

You can obtain information

• from your paediatrician,
• from your social welfare office,
• your health insurance company and
• at the counselling centres for people with disabilities.

The programme is aimed at children with disabilities and children at risk of disability who have not yet started school, including those with

• abnormalities in general development,
• problems in the social-emotional area,
• abnormalities in fine and gross motor skills,
• perceptual problems,
• abnormalities in speech,
• visual and hearing disorders,
• diagnosed disabilities or
• psychosomatic complaints.

The offer also applies to the parents of these children or their carers.

for those with statutory health insurance: none

If you are concerned about your child's development or if your child has a developmental impairment or disability, you can contact your paediatrician or an interdisciplinary early intervention and early counselling centre (IFF). There you will receive counselling and support with the application process.

• After a consultation at an IFF or with your paediatrician, you will be issued with a referral to an IFF or - if necessary - to a social paediatric centre (SPC).
• On the basis of an interdisciplinary diagnosis, a support and treatment plan will be drawn up under medical supervision. This is tailored to your child's individual needs and includes the services that are likely to be required to support and treat your child.
• The interdisciplinary support and treatment plan is submitted to the rehabilitation organisations for a decision.
• As a parent or guardian, you sign this support and treatment plan and receive a copy.

• Start: from birth or in the event of abnormalities during early childhood development
• End: at the latest on admission to school

Note: If you have any questions or need specific help, please contact your paediatrician or an interdisciplinary early intervention and early counselling centre. The earlier you seek advice, the sooner you will receive diagnostic, therapeutic or curative educational support for your child.

Appeal (more details on the procedure in the notification)