Who is Eligible for Early Intervention?
Eligibility is determined by one of these methods: • Standardized Assessment – A child is eligible if they score 1.5 standard deviations at or below the mean, or at or below the 7th percentile in one or more areas of development on the Bayley, Peabody, or other validated developmental assessment instrument. These will be administered when needed by Early Intervention program personnel. • Informed Clinical Opinion – Clinical opinion is used when concerns relate to aspects of development that are difficult to measure, such as poor feeding skills, or low or high muscle tone in infants. Parent concerns are considered and medical records reviewed. Two or more professionals who have knowledge and expertise in the area of concern establish an “informed clinical opinion”. • Diagnosis – Early Intervention has a list of diagnoses that will qualify a child for services. Diagnoses may vary by state. The program must have documentation of the diagnosis. For a current list of qualifying diagnoses, c
