Your child and family may be eligible for early intervention services if one of the following criteria is determined during an evaluation:
• A delay of 25% or more in one area of development
• Atypical development or behavior that puts a child at risk for a delay
• A diagnosed condition with a high probability of delay
Step 1: Make a referral
When there is a concern about a child’s development, a referral can be made by parents, caregivers, physicians or social service providers.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to call 410-778-7164. Referrals can also be faxed to 410-778-2896.
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Step 2: Participate in an intake/screening
Once a referral has been made, a staff member will contact the family to complete an intake referral. An intake meeting will be scheduled to determine how Infants and Toddlers Program can best help based on a child’s needs and parent concerns.
The staff member will gather information about the child’s medical and developmental history.
If a full evaluation is warranted, a date will be scheduled and consent forms will be reviewed. The staff member will provide the family with information to prepare for the evaluation.
These forms include:
• Parental Rights Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Maryland State Department of Education documents and brochures.
Step 3: Participate in a Full Evaluation
Your child will be evaluated in all five developmental domains. Parents are active participants in the evaluation.
The evaluation is play-based, which means that Infants and Toddlers Program staff will use toys and other materials to determine if your child is demonstrating age-appropriate skills and concepts.
Because the evaluators may not observe all of a child’s skills during this evaluation, we rely on parent reports to supplement direct observations through an interview process.
At the end of the evaluation, the evaluators will briefly review their impressions. A second meeting will be scheduled to review the results and assessment data to discuss eligibility.
If the child is eligible, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) will be developed by the evaluators and the parents.
Step 4: Participate in an IFSP Meeting
Parents and guardians are important IFSP team members. Input from parents and guardians is valuable information when developing the IFSP.
The IFSP is a written document that outlines:
• Your child’s present levels of performance and current strengths and needs as determined by the intake and evaluation
• Your family’s priorities, concerns and resources.
• The outcomes that parents and the Infants and Toddlers Program staff would like the child to achieve.
• The services needed to achieve those outcomes.
Types of services provided through the Infants and Toddlers Program include:
• Assistive Technology
• Audiology
• Family Counseling & Training
• Nursing
• Nutrition Services
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy