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What to do Next

Birth through age 3

Because you know your child so well, you might notice that he or she is growing or developing differently than a cousin, brother or sister at that age. What you are noticing are changes in different developmental areas. The five primary developmental areas are:

• Ability to move, see, and hear - physical development
• Ability to talk, express needs - language and speech development
• Ability to relate to others - social and emotional development
• Ability to eat, dress, and take care of themselves - self help (or adaptive development)
• Ability to think and learn - cognitive development

If you have concerns about the development of your child (under age 3), he/she may be eligible for services provided through the New York State Early Intervention Program (EIP). To be eligible for services, children must be under 3 years of age and have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay, as defined by the State, in one or more of the five primary developmental areas listed above.

EIP services respond to the critical needs of children and families by: promoting development and learning, providing support to families, coordinating services, and decreasing the need for costly special programs.

To Access EIP Services:

1. Get a referral. To obtain a referral for the Early Intervention Program, contact your pediatrician or contact your county's Early Intervention Official (EIO). Click here for a listing of EIOs by county. The Early Intervention Official will assign an Initial Service Coordinator to your case.
2. The Initial Service Coordinator will provide information about the Early Intervention Program and your rights, gather your insurance information and assist you in obtaining an evaluation.
3. The Evaluation. Once an evaluator has been selected, an evaluation team is put together to evaluate your child's five primary developmental areas (see bulleted list above).
4. After the evaluation, evaluation team will meet with you to share their findings.
5. If your child is found to be eligible, an Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) meeting is held. At this meeting you will identify desired outcomes and work with EIP staff to identify appropriate early intervention services, create a written plan (IFSP), and identify an Ongoing Service Coordinator. Together you also will determine a time frame for an IFSP- review (at six months and annually) when decisions are made to continue, add, modify or delete outcomes, strategies, and or services. NOTE: If your child is about to turn three, a plan for transition to Kindergarten needs to be included in the IFSP. You and your Service Coordinator should work with the school district at least 120 days before your son or daughter is to enter preschool.

If your child is determined ineligible, call LDA for assistance. Please call us at 585-263-3323.

Parent rights in the Early Intervention Program:

• The right to say yes or no to participating in the Early Intervention Program, without risking the right to take part in the future.
• The right to keep information about the family private
• The right to say yes or no to having the child evaluated or screened and take part in the family assessment

For more information on parent rights, click here or call 585-263-3323.