What is Early Intervention?
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Early intervention is a system of coordinated services that promotes the child's growth and development and
supports families during the critical early years. Early intervention services to eligible children and families are
federally mandated through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Starting with a partnership between parents and professionals at this early stage helps the child, family and
community as a whole.
Early intervention services delivered within the context of the family can:
• Improve both developmental and educational gains;
• Reduce the future costs of special education, rehabilitation and health care needs;
• Reduce feelings of isolation, stress and frustration that families may experience; and
• Help children with disabilities grow up to become productive, independent individuals.
The earlier children with or at risk of disabilities receive assistance and the sooner their families receive
support towards their children's development, the farther they will go in life.
Early Intervention Steps
1. Referral – (unless parent objects)
- Referral source or parent suspects child of having developmental delay or disability.
- Family informed of benefits of Early Intervention Program
- Child referred to EIO ( Early Intervention Official) within 2 days of identification
- Early intervention Official assigns Initial Service Coordinator
2. Initial Service Coordinator
- Provide information about EIP (Early Intervention Program)
- Inform family of rights
- Review list of evaluators
- Obtain insurance/Medicaid information
- Obtain other relevant information
3. Evaluation – (with parents’ consent)
- Determine eligibility
- Family assessment, optional
- Gather information for IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan)
- Summary and report submitted prior to IFSP
4. The IFSP Meeting – (if child is eligible)
- Family identifies desired outcomes
- Early Intervention services specified
- Develop written plan
- Family and EIO agree to IFSP
5. Early Intervention Services:
• Assisting technology devices and services - equipment and services that are used to improve or
maintain the abilities of a child to participate in such activities as playing, communication, eating or moving.
• Audiology - identifying and providing services for children with hearing loss and prevention of hearing
loss.
• Family training - services provided by qualified personnel to assist the family in understanding the
special needs of the child and in promoting the child’s development.
• Medical services - only for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.
• Nursing services - assessment of health status of the child for the purpose of providing nursing care,
and provision of nursing care to prevent health problems, restore and improve functioning, and promote
optimal health and development. This may include administering medications, treatments, and other
procedures prescribed by licensed physician.
• Nutrition services - services that help address the nutritional needs of children that include identifying
feeding skills, feeding problems, food habits, and food preferences.
• Occupational therapy - services that relate to self-help skills, adaptive behavior and play, and sensory,
motor, and postural development.
• Physical therapy - services to prevent or lessen movement’s difficulties and related functional problems.
• Psychological services - administering and interpreting psychological tests and information about a child’
s behavior and child and family conditions related to learning, mental health and development as well as
planning services including counseling, consultation, parent training, and education programs.
• Service coordination - someone who works in partnership with the family by providing assistance and
services that help the family to coordinate and obtain their rights under the Early Intervention Program and
services agreed upon in the IFSP.
• Social work services - preparing an assessment of the social and emotional strengths and needs of a
child and family, and providing individual or group services such as counseling or family training.
• Special instruction - includes designing learning environments and activities that promote the child’s
development, providing families with information, skills, and support to enhance the child’s development.
• Speech-language pathology - services for children with delay in communication skills or with motor skills
such as weakness of muscles around the mouth or swallowing.
• Vision services - identification of children with visual disorders or delays and providing services and
training to those children.
• Health services - health-related services necessary to enable a child to benefit from other early
intervention services.
• Transportation and related costs - providing or reimbursing the cost of travel necessary to enable a
child and family to receive early intervention services.
6. Review Six Months/Evaluate Annually
- Decision is made to continue, add, modify or delete outcomes, strategies, and/or services
- If parent requests, may review sooner
7. Transition
- Plan for transition included in IFSP
- Transition to: other early childhood services
Service Model Options: ways that early intervention services may be provided to a child and family.
1. Home-and community-based visits - In this model, services are given to a child and/or parent or
other family member or caregiver at home or in the community (such as a relative’s home, child care center,
family day care home, play groups, library story hour, or other places parents go with their children).
2. Facility or center-based visits - In this model services are given to a child and/or parent or other
family member or caregiver where the service provide works (such as an office, a hospital, a clinic, or early
intervention center).
3. Parent-Child groups - In this model, parents and children get services together in a group led by a
service provider. A parent-child group can happen anywhere in the community.
4. Family support groups - In this model, parents, grandparents, siblings, or other relatives of the
child get together in a group led by a service provider for help and support and to share concerns and
information.
5. Group developmental intervention - In this model, children receive services in a group setting
led by a service provider or providers without parents or caregivers. A group means two or more children who
are eligible for early intervention services. The group can include children without disabilities and can happen
anywhere in the community.
Who is eligible for the Early Intervention Program?
Children are eligible for the Early Intervention Program if they are under three years old and have a disability
or developmental delay. A disability means that a child has a diagnosed physical or mental condition that
often leads to problems in development (such as Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, vision impairment,
hearing impairment).
A developmental delay means that a child is behind in at least one area of development.
How is eligibility decided?
All children referred to the Early Intervention Official have the right to a free multidisciplinary evaluation to find
out if they are eligible for services. The multidisciplinary evaluation will also help you to better understand
your child’s strengths and needs and how early intervention can help.
A child who is referred because of a diagnosed condition that often leads to developmental delay like Down
syndrome – will always be eligible for early intervention services. If your child has a diagnosed condition, your
child will still need a multidisciplinary evaluation to help plan for services.
If your child has a delay in development- and no diagnosed condition – the multidisciplinary evaluation is
needed to find out if your child is eligible for the Early Intervention Program. Your child’s development will be
measured according to the “definition of developmental delay” set by your state.
Areas of Development / Functional areas.
1. Cognitive- a term that describes the process used for remembering, reasoning, understanding, and
making decisions. Learning and thinking.
2. Physical (including vision and hearing)- helps prevent or lessen movement difficulties and related
functional problems. Growth, gross and fine motor abilities.
3. Speech-language- children with delays in communication skills or with motor skills such as weakness of
muscles around the mouth or swallowing. Understanding and using words.
4. Social/emotional- an assessment of the social and emotional strengths and needs of a child and family.
Relating to others.
5. Adaptive development- self help skills the child uses for daily living (such as feeding, toileting,
dressing). Self-readiness skills.
Your child does not need to be a U.S. Citizen to be eligible for services. And, there is no income “test” for the
program. You and your child do have to be residents of the State participating in the Early Intervention
Program.
New York State’s definition of developmental delay.
Developmental delay means that a child has not attained developmental milestones expected for the child’s
age adjusted for prematurely in one or more of the following areas of development: cognitive, physical
(including vision and hearing), communication, social-emotional, or adaptive development.
For the purposes of the Early Intervention Program, a developmental delay is a delay that has been
measured by qualified personnel using informed clinical opinion, appropriate diagnostic procedures, and/or
instruments, and documented as:
1. A 12 month delay in one functional area
2. A 33% delay in one functional area or a 25% delay in each of two areas
3. If appropriate, standardized instruments are individually administered in the evaluation.
Important Contact Information for New York State
For more information about the Early Intervention Program and its services, contact:
Early Intervention Program
Division of Family Health
New York State Department of Health
Corning Tower, Room 287
Albany, New York 12237-0618
518-473-7016
518-486-1090 (fax)
Email: eip@health.state.ny.us
www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/eip/index.htm
Early Childhood Direction Centers
There are 15 Early Childhood Direction Centers statewide funded by the New York State Education
Department that provide information about programs and services for young children, ages birth through five,
who have physical, mental or emotional disabilities and help families obtain services for their children.
www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/transition/whocan.htm
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY). NICHCY is a "national
information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and early intervention in all 50 states.
http://nichcy.org
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Babies Can't Wait!
Because all babies are different, they rarely do the same thing at exactly the same age. As a result, it's not
unusual for families to have questions or concerns about their child's development. You may wonder;
Why isn't my son sitting up?
Why isn't my daughter crawling?
Why doesn't my son talk like other children his age?
It's important to keep in mind that all children develop differently and at their own pace. If you have concerns
about your child's development, call your health provider or local early intervention program.
Taking the First Step
If you are concerned about your child's development, the first step is to have your child referred for
evaluation and assessment. You can refer your child directly to an Early Intervention program or you can
have your child's physician or another professional make the referral for you. You will be assigned a service
coordinator who will help you through the process.