For young children with developmental delays, Early Intervention is an effective way to catch up on delayed or missed milestones. The federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, entitles children up to age 3 to receive reduced price or no-cost services until they are old enough to attend the public school system.
Services
Young children are entitled to services from a professional trained in physical therapy, large muscle groups, occupational therapy, small muscle and fine motor skills, speech, self-help, social and emotional, or cognitive development. These are skills that typically develop during a child's first three years of life. An evaluation team may find that your child needs assistance in one or all of these areas.
Eligibility
Children are eligible to receive services from birth until their third birthday. The exact method and criteria for determining eligibility varies from state to state. However, a team of therapists will use standardized testing to determine if your child has enough of a delay in one or more areas to qualify in your state. In some states, a child will qualify based on the potential for a delay based on a condition diagnosed at birth, such as significant prematurity or illness, very low birth weight, or surgery soon after being born.
How it Works
Once your child has been found eligible for services, the parents and a team of therapists will develop an Individualized Family Service Plan. This plan includes your child's current level of functioning, and outlines the goals for therapy, the methods that will be used to help to achieve these goals, the professional staff assigned to help your child meet these goals, and a time line for achieving them. It will also include the amount of time per week your child is going to receive these services, the cost to the family, if any, and the person assigned to oversee and coordinate the therapies.
Other Services
One goal of the therapists is to teach parents how to help their children. Therefore, Early Intervention services may also include counseling, family training, psychological or social work services, assistive technology devices, and nutrition services.
Getting Started
Keep your regular well-baby visits and discuss your child's development with your pediatrician. If you or your doctor have concerns regarding the development of your child, your child's pediatrician can direct you to the appropriate agency in your state or county.
