Is my child eligible for early intervention services?
The Help Me Grow Washington Hotline is a good place to start to find out whether your child is eligible for early intervention services. Call 1.800.322.2588 (TTY 1.800.833.6384) to be connected with a family resources coordinator in your area. The FRC will help you access early intervention services your child may need.
Who is eligible for early intervention services in Washington?
To be eligible, a child must have a 25 percent delay or show a 1.5 standard deviation below his or her age in one or more of the developmental areas. A child may also be eligible if he or she has a physical or mental condition such as Down Syndrome that is known to cause a delay in development.
Detailed Eligibility Criteria:
3.A.1 The SLA ensures that children, birth to three, shall be eligible for EIS under Part C of IDEA, if the multidisciplinary team finds any one of the following criteria exists:
(a) Developmental delay:
(1) A child shall be eligible if he or she demonstrates a delay of 1.5 standard deviation or 25% of chronological age delay in one or more of the following developmental areas, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, and administered by qualified personnel.
(i) Cognitive
(ii) Physical (fine or gross motor)
(iii) Communication (receptive or expressive language)
(iv) Social or Emotional
(iv) Adaptive
(2) INFORMED CLINICAL OPINION
(i) The SLA shall ensure that informed clinical opinion given by qualified personnel may be used as an independent basis to establish a child’s eligibility even when instruments do not establish eligibility; and
(ii) In no event may informed clinical opinion be used to negate the results of evaluation instruments used to establish eligibility.
(b) Diagnosed physical or mental condition: A child shall be eligible if he or she has a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay. Such conditions include, but are not limited to:
(1) CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES;
(2) GENETIC OR CONGENITAL DISORDERS;
(3) SENSORY IMPAIRMENTS;
(4) INBORN ERRORS OF METABOLISM;
(5) DISORDERS REFLECTING DISTURBANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM;
(6) CONGENITAL INFECTIONS;
(7) SEVERE ATTACHMENT DISORDERS;
(8) TOXIC SUBSTANCES – disorders secondary to exposure to toxic substances, including fetal alcohol syndrome.
3.A.2 This definition does not include children from birth to age three who do not meet the above criteria and who are at risk of having substantial developmental delays if EIS are not provided.