Section 235.310  Definitions

"Behavior Support Plan" means a written, planned and culturally and linguistically appropriate schedule of action agreed upon by the program staff, parents/guardians, and qualified professional resources assigned:

to assist a child, a family, caregivers, programs or teachers, and directors on how the program reflects on and modifies the program, classroom, and learning environment practices; and

to address the identification of serious and repeated patterns of challenging behavior.

The behavior support plan must be fully implemented before initiating the transition plan.

"Challenging Behavior" means any serious and repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with a child's ability to engage in developmentally appropriate self-regulation and cognitive and prosocial engagement with peers or adults.

"Early Childhood Program" means a program that receives funding pursuant to Section 2-3.71(a)(7) of the Code.

"Program Transition Plan" means an individualized, written, and culturally and linguistically appropriate document developed by the departing and receiving early childhood programs, parents or primary caregivers, and qualified professional resources detailing tasks and individual responsibilities required to prepare for and then execute the move of the child from the current program to a more appropriate arrangement with as little negative impact and disruption as possible.

"Qualified Professional" means an individual with a recognized professional title such as, but not limited to, a child's early childhood mental health consultant, licensed clinical social worker, speech pathologist, or behavioral therapist.  This individual should have expertise in early childhood education practices, children's behaviors, inclusion, applied behavior analysis, infant/early childhood mental health, or the impact of trauma.

"Repeated Pattern of Challenging Behavior" means behaviors that do not respond to repeated developmentally appropriate practice interventions and result in a disrupted learning environment for other children in the program. These include, but are not limited to, extreme prolonged tantrums, physical and verbal aggression, property destruction, self-injury, injury to others, or withdrawal.

"School Code" or "Code" means 105 ILCS 5.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

"Temporary Removals" means practices that involve removing the child from regular participation in the program as a result of a challenging behavior. A temporary removal should be developmentally appropriate and may only be used as a last resort if there is a serious safety threat that cannot be reduced or eliminated by the provision of reasonable modifications. The program must help the child return to full participation in a group setting as soon as safety allows.

(Source:  Added at 44 Ill. Reg. 1942, effective January 10, 2020)