Early intervention is intended for infants and toddlers who have a developmental delay or disability. Eligibility is determined by evaluating the child (with parents’ consent) to see if the little one does, in fact, have a delay in development or a disability. Eligible children can receive early intervention services from birth through the third birthday (and sometimes beyond).

For some children, from birth | Sometimes it is known from the moment a child is born that early intervention services will be essential in helping the child grow and develop. Often this is so for children who are diagnosed at birth with a specific condition or who experience significant prematurity, very low birth weight, illness, or surgery soon after being born. Even before heading home from the hospital, this child’s parents may be given a referral to their local early intervention office. The key to accessing services it to ensure you have a service coordinator.

Service coordinators will conduct home visits in accordance with the referral to the Early Intervention (EI) program and maintain extensive documentation to comply with state regulations. Service coordinators will assist eligible children and their families in gaining access to early intervention services and other services identified in the Individualized Family Service Plan.

Service coordinators will manage the active ongoing process that involves coordinating the provision of early intervention services, and other services, such as, referrals to other community resources, that the child needs or is being provided. Service coordinators will facilitate the timely delivery of available services and continuously seek the appropriate services and situations necessary to benefit the development of each child being served for the duration of the child’s eligibility through the Early Intervention Program. Service coordinators will facilitate the transition from the Early Intervention Program to the Committee on Preschool Special Education. If it is determined through the CPSE that a child is “no longer eligible to receive services”, the Service coordinator will help the child and family make the transition to other community resources.