About Early Intervention

Early Intervention is a collection of supports and services that promote opportunities for parents/caregivers to enhance their competencies to help their child grow and develop. This is done within the context of the family's and child's routines and activities that occur in everyday life.

Each child referred is assigned to a Service Coordinator. This person helps guide the family through the eligibility process and serves as the main point of contact for the child receiving services or for the child receiving Tracking services. The Service Coordinator monitors service delivery, progress and ensures that information is updated. The Service Coordinator also assists the family in accessing other community programs and agencies and provides information about community resources and activities.

Steps For E.I.

  • After the initial phone referral, the service coordinator arranges an appointment with the family to discuss early intervention services and gather pertinent information about the child. A multidisciplinary evaluation (MDE) is then arranged with the independent evaluator under contract with CMSU. The initial MDE is used to determine the child's eligibility for early intervention services based on criteria established by the Commonwealth.

  • Early intervention services are available to infants and toddlers, from birth to age three, who have a significant delay (25% of chronological age) in one or more areas of development, or have a high probability for developmental delays based on known physical or mental conditions. Eligibility is based on delays in the following developmental areas using whole domain scores:

    Physical development-child's ability to move, use finger skills, see and hear

    Language and speech development - child’s ability to understand language and ability to talk or express need

    Social and emotional development - child's ability to relate to others

    Self-help (adapted) - child's ability to eat, dress, and take care of themselves

    Cognitive development - child's ability to think and learn

    If a child is not eligible for early intervention, he or she may be eligible for follow-up tracking. Children eligible for that service are:

    Under three and one half pounds in birth weight

    cared for in neonatal intensive care unit

    affected by illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure

    confirmed abuse or neglect

    confirmed levels of lead poisoning

  • Once a child's eligibility for early intervention has been determined, the service coordinator works with the family and other early intervention team members on developing a written plan detailing family's concerns and priorities, strategies and ideas, and the early intervention services and supports to be received; all decisions are made by the team. The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is the foundation of family-centered early intervention services. An on-going relationship develops between the service coordinator and the family. The service coordinator meets regularly with the family to assess the family's level of satisfaction with services, monitor service outcomes and quality, and provide information on community resources. Services mostly commonly used to support families include special instruction (regular, vision, hearing), speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

    For children enrolled in Tracking, the Service Coordinator meets with the family at set intervals to complete an Ages and Stages Questionnaire. The results are reviewed with the family and developmental information is provided to the family along with suggestions that they can try with the child between Tracking visits.

  • Early intervention is funded through federal, EPSDT (MA), state and county dollars. Children who have medical assistance have their ACCESS card for services without a copayment to the family.

How to access early intervention services

Anyone interested in making a referral or a general inquiry about early intervention for a child less than 33 months of age should contact the CMSU office at (570) 275-6080 or 1-800-451-9720.

Contact can also be made by emailing cmsudss@cmsu.org. Referrals can also be made by calling CONNECT (statewide directory for early intervention) at 1-800-692-7288. For children who live in counties outside of CMSU, the referral must be made to CONNECT.

For children within 60 days of turning 3, the caller may contact Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit at (570) 523-1155, extension 2220 with the referral information.

When making a referral…

When making a referral, you will be asked to provide basic information about the child. This information will include:

• Name of child

• Parents’/legal guardian’s name

• Address including county of residence

• Date of birth

• Child's Social Security Number and/or Medical Assistance Number (if applicable)

• Living situation (Does the child live with parents, grandparents, other relatives or is in foster care? If child is in foster care, additional contact information will be needed.)

• Reason for referral - What concerns you about the child's development?

• Review of any completed developmental evaluations - Was the child recently evaluated? Does the child currently receive early intervention services? Are there other agencies involved?

Interested in getting your child a head start? Make a referral today!

Email completed form to cmsudss@cmsu.org.

Note:

All information provided remains confidential. Service Coordinators are bound by several confidentiality laws including HIPAA, Families Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Behavioral Health & Developmental Services policy(ies).