442.750 - Health Division required to ensure that personnel possess necessary knowledge and skills; early intervention screenings.
442.750 Health Division required to ensure that personnel possess necessary knowledge and skills; early intervention screenings.
1. The Health Division shall ensure that the personnel employed by the Health Division who provide early intervention services to children with autism and the persons with whom the Health Division contracts to provide early intervention services to children with autism possess the knowledge and skills necessary to serve children with autism, including, without limitation:
(a) The screening of a child for autism at the age levels and frequency recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, or its successor organization;
(b) The procedure for evaluating children who demonstrate behaviors which are consistent with autism;
(c) The procedure for enrolling a child in early intervention services upon determining that the child has autism;
(d) Methods of providing support to children with autism and their families; and
(e) The procedure for developing an individualized family service plan in accordance with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1431 et seq., or other appropriate plan for the child.
2. The Health Division shall ensure that the personnel employed by the Health Division to provide early intervention services to children with autism and the persons with whom the Health Division contracts to provide early intervention services to children with autism:
(a) Possess the knowledge and understanding of the scientific research and support for the methods and approaches for serving children with autism and the ability to recognize the difference between an approach or method that is scientifically validated and one that is not;
(b) Possess the knowledge to accurately describe to parents and guardians the research supporting the methods and approaches, including, without limitation, the knowledge necessary to provide an explanation that a method or approach is experimental if it is not supported by scientific evidence;
(c) Immediately notify a parent or legal guardian if a child is identified as being at risk for a diagnosis of autism and refer the parent or legal guardian to the appropriate professionals for further evaluation and simultaneously refer the parent or legal guardian to any appropriate early intervention services and strategies; and
(d) Provide the parent or legal guardian with information on evidence-based treatments and interventions that may assist the child in the child’s development and advancement.
3. The Health Division shall ensure that the personnel employed by the Health Division who provide early intervention screenings to children and the persons with whom the Health Division contracts to provide early intervention screenings to children perform screenings of children for autism at the age levels and frequency recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, or its successor organization.
(Added to NRS by 2009, 1539)