Early Intervention (EI)

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What is Early Intervention?

Early Intervention is a statewide program that provides home based services to enhance the development of children birth to three years old with developmental delays and disabilities. Early Intervention is a voluntary program which focuses on educating and empowering families to embed learning activities during their child’s daily routines. Our supportive therapists use a play-based approach to help your child achieve developmental milestones and maximize their full potential.

Early Intervention focuses on five areas of a child’s development:

  1. Social/Emotional- How a child interacts with those around them.

  2. Cognition- How a child thinks, solves problems and retains learned information.

  3. Communication- How a child understands what others say and how they express themselves to others.

  4. Motor- How a child is able to move in their environment and how they manipulate toys and other objects.

  5. Self Help/Adaptive- How a child is able to take care of their personal needs.
 

Why is Early Intervention Important?

Children develop rapidly during the first years of life. Children who receive intervention at this early age can minimize developmental delay in future years. Early Intervention also supports families in obtaining the services they need to assist and advocate for their children.

Is My Child Eligible for Early Intervention Services?

A full developmental evaluation will be completed to determine if your child is eligible. The evaluation will assess your child’s social/emotional skills, cognition, communication skills, motor skills, and self-help/adaptive skills. To be eligible for early intervention services your child must have a

  · 50% delay in one area of development,

  · 25% delay in two areas of development or 

  · A diagnosed medical condition that has a high likelihood of associated developmental delays.
 

For example, a child who is 24 months old has communication skills of a child who is 12 months old would qualify with a 50% Communication Delay.

If you have questions about your child’s current development please call us for a free over the phone screening or reference the developmental milestone checklists https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

Services Available

  · Special Instruction

  · Service Coordination

  · Developmental Playgroups

  · Speech Language Pathology

  · Feeding Services

  · Occupational Therapy

  · Physical Therapy

  · Nutrition Services

  · Vision Services

  · Audiology

  · Assistive Technology Services

  · Medical services for diagnostic and evaluation purposes

  · Transition support to the next educational setting
 

How Much Will Early Intervention Cost?

Early Intervention Services are at No Cost to your family. You will have the opportunity have your insurance billed for services. However you will not be charged for any co-pays or other expenses.

Early intervention operates under the guidelines set forth in Part C of the federal law Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The purpose of IDEA is to:

  1. enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, to minimize their potential for developmental delay, and to recognize the significant brain development that occurs during a child's first 3 years of life;

  2. reduce the educational costs to our society, including our Nation's schools, by minimizing the need for special education and related services after infants and toddlers with disabilities reach school age;

  3. maximize the potential for individuals with disabilities to live independently in society;

  4. enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities; and 

  5. enhance the capacity of State and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low-income, inner city, and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care.

See https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/c for more information and details on IDEA.