What is Early Intervention?

The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, also referred to as Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is a federal grant program designed to assist states in operating a statewide comprehensive program of early intervention services for eligible infants and toddlers, from birth up until three years of age, and their families. This program was established by Congress in 1986 to enhance the development of children under the age of three with disabilities, augment a family’s ability to meet their child’s needs, lessen the possibility of institutionalization and maximize independent living, and decrease educational costs by reducing the need for special education in later years. Direct services are provided in the child’s natural environment and generally include but are not limited to developmental intervention, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, family training, and nursing services. Currently, all states and eligible territories are participating in this program.

Despite being a federal program, statewide early intervention systems vary from state to state. For instance, as states are permitted some discretion in setting the criteria for child eligibility, some states serve children at risk for developing a delay, while others serve only those with disabilities. States also differ concerning which state agency has been designated lead agency. In New Hampshire and West Virginia, for example, the Department of Health and Human Services oversees the program, while in states such as Maine, Maryland, Iowa, and Oklahoma, Part C is the responsibility of the Department of Education. Another way in which the program varies between states pertains to family cost participation. While the Federal government dictates that evaluation, assessment, service coordination, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development, and procedural safeguards must be provided at no cost to the family, there is no such mandate for direct services. Though some early intervention recipients may receive services at no cost, others may only receive services through family cost participation, a term used to describe a system of payments, including a sliding fee scale, the use of private insurance, or both.