Home
About CHASA
Support    
Newly Diagnosed
Rehabilitation
Ask the Experts
Medical
Daily Living
Education
     Assessment (Testing)
     Advocacy
     Behavior
     Learning Differences
     Mental Retardation
     IEP
     504 Programs
     Special Education
     Letters to the Teacher
     School Survival
     School Talks
     Speech
     Other Resources
Sports
Finances
For Parents
For Teens
For Kids
Site Index
Contact CHASA

early intervention for infants and toddlers
ages birth to three years old

Early intervention is a way to help children catch up or to address certain developmental issues as soon as possible.  Early intervention programs may provide specialized health, educational, and therapeutic services during the first three years of life for children who have a developmental delay or disability.  Children who are considered "at risk" of developing a delay may also receive services.

Children who have a diagnosis of stroke, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, or other secondary conditions such as seizures, hearing or visual, behavioral, speech and language or feeding issues will often need and qualify for early  intervention services. These children should be followed by a pediatrician and also an early intervention specialist.  If your child has a developmental delay, meaning that the child is not reaching typical milestones like rolling over or sitting up, your child may need early intervention services. 

Your child needs to be evaluated to determine if he or she is eligible for early intervention services.  This evaluation is free because it is funded by the state and federal government.  Each state has Early Intervention programs and you can find those through the search engine at the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities or by searching for "Early Intervention" programs and the name of your state. Your child's pediatrician and pediatric departments of your local hospitals can put you in touch with early intervention programs in your community.

Once your child has been tested and determined to be eligible for early intervention services, you will meet with the early intervention team to develop a plan of services, called the Individualized Family Service plan.  This document will outline the services that your child will receive. 

Depending on your child’s needs, his or her early intervention services may include:

• family training, counseling, and home visits;
• special instruction;
• speech-language pathology services (sometimes referred to as speech therapy);
• audiology services (hearing impairment services);
• occupational therapy;
• physical therapy;
• psychological services; medical services (only for diagnostic or evaluation purposes);
• health services needed to enable your child to benefit from the other services;
• social work services;
• assistive technology devices and services;
• transportation;
• nutrition services; and
• service coordination services.

Whether or not you, as parents, will have to pay for any services for your child depends on the policies of your state. Under IDEA, the following services must be provided at no cost to families: Child Find services; evaluations and assessments; the development and review of the Individualized Family Service Plan; and service coordination.

Depending on your state’s policies, you may have to pay for certain other services. You may be charged a “sliding-scale” fee, meaning the fees are based on what you earn. Check with the contact person in your area or state. Some services may be covered by your health insurance, by Medicaid, or by Indian Health Services. Every effort is made to provide services to all infants and toddlers who need help, regardless of family income. Services cannot be denied to a child just because his or her family is not able to pay for them.

As you contact different people and places, it's a good idea to keep records of people you've talked with and what was said. As time goes by, you will want to add other information to your file, such as: Letters and notes (from doctors, therapists, etc.); Medical records and reports; Results of tests and evaluations; Notes from meetings about your child; Therapist(s') reports; IFSP and IEP records; Your child's developmental history, including personal notes or diaries on your child's development; Records of shots and vaccinations; and Family medical histories.

Make sure you get copies of all written information about your child (records, reports, etc.). This will help you become an important coordinator of services and a better advocate for your child. Remember, as time goes on, you'll probably have more information to keep track of, so it's a good idea to keep it together in one place.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities NICHCY

Early Intervention Programs - State Listings

© Copyright, CHASA, All Rights Reserved

The information contained in this Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA) Web site is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment, and CHASA recommends consultation with your doctor or health care professional.