As a healthcare professional, families look to you for guidance regarding their children’s growth and development. ECI wants to work with you so families find the supports and services they need as soon as a delay or disability is suspected.
Do you know that:
- Early referral and timely intervention lead to more positive child and family outcomes.
- Making an early referral is consistent with recommended practices and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C regulations.
- A medical diagnosis or confirmed developmental delay is not necessary to refer to ECI.
- ECI Team members are trained to recognize very early indicators of atypical and delayed development. An ECI interdisciplinary team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine eligibility, at no cost to families after a referral is made.
- Children who have vision deficits or who have failed the universal newborn hearing screen should also be referred to ECI for appropriate developmental follow-up.
Are you familiar with the ECI Two-Day Rule Regulation?
The Two-Day rule is part of federal (34 CFR Sec. 303.321) and state regulations (40 TAC Sec. 108.61) implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act which encourages states to provide services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and delays. The Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) funds local services throughout Texas.
Federal and state legislation require primary referral sources to refer children under age 3 to ECI for services within two working days of identifying a child with a delay. The Texas regulation states that “All primary referral sources must refer a child under age three who may be in need of and/or qualify for comprehensive early intervention services. Referrals must be made within two working days of identification, and must be made to an ECI approved program for evaluation and assessment of the child.”
The intent of this regulation is to ensure that every family which made need services have information about the availability of the government-funded program as soon as a delay or disability is identified.
Texas Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (TEHDI) Protocol
To ensure that all infants and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational, and medical intervention, an early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) program is essential. Here are some forms to assist in detection: