What
is Early Intervention?
The
Early Intervention Program (EIP) is a state mandated program designed to
provide a variety of services to any child, birth to age 3, with an actual
or suspected delay in expected growth and development.
The major goals of EIP are to stimulate a child’s development and
to assist parents in meeting their child’s special needs.
How
does a child enter the program?
When
concerns or questions about a child’s developmental progress are raised,
parents, physicians, agencies, and other professionals may initiate
referrals to the program. An
assessment of family needs and an evaluation of the child’s
developmental status are done by a team of qualified professionals.
The family is always a member of the team.
All domains of child development are addressed, motor,
social/emotional, communication, cognitive and adaptive.
The results of the assessments are used to determine eligibility
for the program. Some children
are automatically eligible under certain conditions, e.g. Down syndrome or
low birth weight. After
completion of these steps, the parents and EI staff meet to set up an
Individual Family Service Plan for the family outlining which areas the
team has concerns about and how those concerns will be addressed.
A service coordinator is assigned to each family to coordinate
services from intake to transition out of the program.
How
will a child be evaluated?
The
EI program offers assessment to the areas of cognition, physical (motor),
development, language development, adaptive skills, and social skills.
Parents are present during the child’s assessment and are
encouraged to be strongly involved in the process.
The assessment tool used is chosen to best determine the child’s
learning style and level of functioning.
At least 2 qualified personnel are part of the evaluation team.
Where
does a child receive the Early Intervention services?
Individualized
services may take place in the child’s home or at a designated site,
such as daycare, (Children and parents may attend community group
programs).
Groups
are designed to strengthen parents’ skills and abilities to promote
their child’s development.
What
is the cost of the program?
The
program is primarily funded by the family’s medical insurance, either
private or state funded. There
is no direct charge to the parents. The
Department of Human Services is the payer of last resort if no other funds
can be accessed.
What
happens after the program?
When
the child reaches 28 months of age, the local school departments are
notified to allow them time for planning any services the child may need
by age 3. The regulations have
established a three meeting plan beginning when the child is 28 months old
so that services are in place for eligible children through an IEP when
the child turns 3.
If
an age-appropriate level of development is achieved by age 3, the child is
discharged from the program and referrals are made to other agencies when
necessary.