Eligibility Requirements

Key Eligibility Criteria:

  • Age: Children must be under 3 years old.
  • Residence: Must live in New York State.
  • Condition: Have a confirmed disability or an established developmental delay of 12 months or more in one functional area, or a 33% delay in one area (or 25% in two or more areas).

Developmental Areas Assessed:

  • Physical: Vision, hearing, crawling, walking.
  • Cognitive: Learning, problem-solving.
  • Communication: Speaking, understanding language.
  • Social-emotional: Playing with others, interacting.
  • Adaptive: Self-help skills, feeding, dressing.

Costs:

Early Intervention services are provided at no cost to the parents including no copays and no deductibles, and a child cannot be denied early intervention based on ability to pay.

How to Access Services:

  • Referral: Parents, doctors, or community members can refer a child.
  • Evaluation: A state-approved evaluator will determine eligibility