Babies are unique little individuals. Some children may grow and develop new skills at a slower rate than other children their age. By getting help early, you can begin to help your child develop in ways that are appropriate for him or her.

The earlier children with disabilities and delays receive help, the better. Well-designed, timely early intervention can enhance the child’s development, provide support for the family, and provide long-term benefits for society. Positive outcomes for the child and family are directly related to early referral and timely intervention.

Babies and toddlers learn best in their homes and familiar places so this is where ECI provides services. ECI helps families learn ways to promote development and use intervention activities in their daily lives. ECI services are delivered by a team of professionals who specialize in working with babies and toddlers.

ECI services include: family education and support; service coordination; developmental services; audiology and vision services; nursing and nutrition services; and physical, occupational and speech-language therapies. Families and professionals work together to plan services based on the needs of the child and family.

ECI determines eligibility for infants and toddlers based on:

Children who are delayed in one or more of the following areas of development:

• Cognitive: difficulty with playing, learning and thinking
• Motor: gross, fine and oral
• Communication: limited understanding or responses in communicating with others
• Social-emotional: attachment problems, limited parent/family interactions or behavior concerns
• Self-help skills: feeding

• Children who may perform within their appropriate age range on test instruments, but whose patterns of development are different from their peers.
• Atypical sensory-motor development: muscle tone, reflex or postural reaction responses, oral-motor skills and sensory integration
• Atypical language or cognition: state regulation, attention span, perseveration, information processing
• Atypical emotional or social patterns: social responsiveness, affective development, attachment patterns, and self-targeted behaviors

• Children who have a medically diagnosed condition with a high probability of developmental delay are automatically eligible for ECI services.
• Review list of medical diagnoses
• Children with auditory and/or vision concerns should be referred for eligibility determination.

Children under three years old are eligible if they have a developmental delay in one of the following areas: learning, movement, ability to talk, ability to understand and get along with others. Children are also eligible if they are determined to have atypical development such as abnormalities in behavior. Medically diagnosed conditions that are known to lead to developmental delay such as cerebral palsy, seizures, Down Syndrome, etc. also qualify a child for services.