Integration Assistance for People with (Impending) Disabilities

Early intervention is an educational and medical-therapeutic program designed to provide support and assistance to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The program is intended for families whose children exhibit developmental abnormalities, delays, or impairments—from birth through the start of school.

Early intervention aims to provide support in cases of (impending) disabilities and other developmental risks by working in collaboration with parents or guardians, pediatricians, therapists, social-pediatric centers (SPZ), counseling centers, and child care facilities, to provide support that helps children develop as well as possible, build their skills, and navigate and integrate into their environment.

The goals of early intervention are:

• Promoting Perception, Movement, Interaction, Communication, and Language
• Teaching Compensation Techniques
• Development of Life Skills
• Development of Social Skills

As a general rule, benefits are provided without any cost-sharing by the legal guardians. Further information is available directly from antonius’s general early intervention center: gemeinsam Mensch (see related links).

Sensory-specific early intervention is a support program for children from birth through school entry who are blind, visually impaired, or hearing impaired. Children for whom such support needs are suspected are also eligible for the program. It is also intended for hearing children of parents who are severely hearing-impaired, as well as for children of parents who are severely visually impaired or blind.

Specially trained staff provide individualized support to the children in everyday settings—at home, at the daycare center, or at appropriate early intervention centers. Parents and caregivers are also advised and actively involved in the process.

The goals of early sensory stimulation are:

• Improving Perception, Orientation, and Communication
• Promoting Language, Learning, and Independence
• Supporting Motor and Social Development
• Counseling and Support for Families in Everyday Life

As a general rule, benefits are provided without any cost-sharing by the legal guardians.

Special education services are provided, as needed, to children who have not yet started school. These services are intended to contribute to the child’s development and the growth of his or her personality.

Every child should be recognized for their uniqueness and equal worth and supported in their individual and social development. Accordingly, it is essential not to exclude children because of their special needs or disabilities, but rather to identify, nurture, and build upon their strengths. Integration measures in daycare centers are one form of support.

Integration should begin as early as possible to break down barriers between children with and without disabilities. The goal of an integration spot is to enable children to participate on an equal footing in daily kindergarten life. Children with (or at risk of) a disability are entitled to support in the form of an integration spot at a daycare center as early as preschool age:

• from age 1 to age 3 in a daycare center or with a child care provider,
• From age 3 until the child starts school, in kindergarten or a daycare center

The lump-sum payment provided to implement the integration measure enables the daycare center, among other things, to provide additional hours of staff time

• Typically 13 hours per week for children under 3 years of age
• Typically 15 hours per week for children over the age of 3.

In addition to support provided in kindergarten, therapeutic services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, as well as sensory stimulation (e.g., for children with hearing and/or visual impairments), are essential for a child’s development.

Children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and whose ability to participate in social life is limited as a result are entitled to therapeutic services as part of integration assistance in accordance with the provisions of Part 2 of SGB IX for people with disabilities.

Therapeutic treatment is provided by qualified professionals or institutions that are authorized to conduct such therapies based on their qualifications and existing framework agreements. The Fulda District is currently working closely with the Autism Therapy and Counseling Center (ATB) – East Hesse Regional Office. Autism therapy comprises up to 120 sessions (approximately three years). In justified exceptional cases, additional sessions may be approved.

You can apply for autism-specific support during a consultation with your designated agency. Please bring the relevant medical records, including the diagnosis, to the consultation.

Students with physical, intellectual, or multiple disabilities who require individualized support to attend school may be accompanied by an assistant—regardless of the type of school. This support staff member accompanies the students through their daily school routine (including the commute to school, if applicable), continuously addresses their individual needs, and supports their participation in the general school system. The specific duties of the school support staff are determined by the individual needs of the children and adolescents and are therefore highly personalized.

If, due to the severity of a disability, the child cannot travel to school by school bus, individual transportation may be funded as part of integration assistance.

In certain cases, attending a boarding school may be appropriate and necessary due to the disability. If boarding school attendance is necessary, the costs may be covered under the integration assistance program. Benefits for day and overnight accommodation are means-tested.

See above

Students with physical, intellectual, or multiple disabilities who require individualized support to attend school may be accompanied by a support specialist—regardless of the type of school. This support person accompanies the student through the school day (including the commute to school, if applicable), continuously addresses individual needs, and supports the student’s participation in the general school system. The specific duties of the school support person are determined by the individual needs of the children and adolescents and are therefore highly personalized.

If, due to the severity of a disability, the child cannot travel to school by school bus, individual transportation may be funded as part of integration assistance.

Assistive devices help people with disabilities manage their daily lives independently and with as few limitations as possible. They compensate for limitations or make it easier to participate in social life. These include, for example, mobility aids, communication aids, and daily living aids. You should first apply to your health insurance provider to have the costs of assistive devices covered. If you are not eligible or are not fully eligible through your health insurance, we will explore other support options available through integration assistance. We would be happy to advise you on the eligibility requirements and the application process.

Mobility services help people with disabilities get around independently in their daily lives and participate in society. Depending on individual needs, assistance may be available, for example, for using public transportation, transportation services, or grants for disability-related vehicle modifications. Support is assessed based on need and granted on an individual basis.

To prepare the eligible individual for participation in working life, benefits may be requested to help them acquire and maintain practical knowledge and skills. These are intended to enable young people to perform everyday tasks, including household chores, improve their language and communication skills, and enable them to navigate traffic safely without assistance. The services also include basic training in mobility aids for the blind.

People with disabilities are entitled to support if they have special housing needs due to their disability. The goal is to enable them to live independently, safely, and in an accessible environment. Depending on their individual situation, services may include, for example:

• Accessibility modifications or equipment for living spaces
• Assistance with renovation projects (e.g., ramps)
• Assistance with finding or securing suitable housing

For more information and counseling options, please contact the Fulda District Care Support Center.

You can find the application forms on this page under "Downloads." Current reports must be included with each application. The required documents vary depending on the circumstances.

In general, there are no deadlines you need to meet when submitting your application. Deadlines for subsequent applications are specified in the letters you receive from the responsible case worker. If, after your application has been reviewed, you are found to be eligible for integration assistance, it will be granted to you no earlier than the first day of the month in which the application was submitted, provided that the eligibility requirements were already met at that time.

The processing time for your application depends on various factors. Please contact the case worker assigned to your case, who can provide you with more detailed information about the processing time.

The agency to which you submitted your application must determine within two weeks of receiving it whether it has jurisdiction over your application. If it does not, it will forward your application to the appropriate agency without delay. You will be notified of the forwarding.

If referral is not necessary, your application will go through the standard procedure. You will then receive the decision by mail.

There are generally no fees for processing applications. However, social participation benefits are means-tested.

If you disagree with a decision, you may file an appeal within one month of its notification. The deadline is also met if the appeal is received by another domestic authority.

You can file an appeal in three ways:

• In writing: by signed letter addressed to the Fulda District Committee, Heinrich-von-Bibra-Platz 5-9, 36037 Fulda
• In person: during office hours for on-site transcription
• electronically: as an electronic document with a qualified signature, sent via email or through the special electronic government mailbox (important: A simple email without a qualified electronic signature is not sufficient)