How to request a free early-intervention evaluation

What early intervention is

Early intervention is the name for services and supports for babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities, and for their families. Every state and territory runs a program under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with its own name and its own eligibility rules. ¹ Services can include speech therapy, physical therapy and other support, based on what the child and family need, and are often delivered at home or in places the child already spends time. ¹

The programs are publicly funded, and CDC describes them as available for free or at reduced cost for any child who is eligible. ¹ Some services may involve a sliding fee depending on the state, but the evaluation, assessments, the planning meeting and service coordination are provided at no cost to families under the federal rules. ⁴

You can make the call yourself

Parents often assume they need a doctor's referral first. They don't. CDC's guidance is that if your doctor is not able to connect you, you can reach out yourself, and "a doctor's referral is not necessary." ¹ Healthcare providers, child care staff and anyone who works with young children can also refer a family. ⁶

You also do not need to wait for a diagnosis, a screening result or the next checkup. CDC suggests calling the state program at the same time as you ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist. ²

Step 1: find your program

Each program has its own name: "Birth to Three", "First Steps", "Early Steps", "Infant & Toddler Connection" and many others. Our early intervention directory lists the program for every state and territory with its referral phone number and website, taken from the ECTA Center's directory of Part C coordinators. ⁵ Where a state lists regional intake numbers, we link to its referral page.

Step 2: what to say

You don't need special words. CDC suggests: ¹

"I have concerns about my child's development and I would like to have my child evaluated to find out if he/she is eligible for early intervention services."

Have these ready: your child's name and date of birth, your contact details, the county you live in, and one or two examples of what you have noticed ("He says three words at 22 months", "She isn't sitting on her own at 9 months"). If you have a milestone checklist, it helps to have it in front of you. Write down the date you called and who you spoke with.

Step 3: what happens next

Under the federal Part C rules, once the program receives the referral, it must complete the initial evaluation, the initial assessments of the child and family, and the first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting within 45 days. ³ The clock pauses only for documented exceptional family circumstances, or if the family has not yet given consent despite repeated attempts. ³

In practice the steps usually look like this:

1. Intake. A service coordinator contacts you, explains the program and asks for your consent to evaluate.
2. Evaluation and assessment. Trained professionals look at how your child moves, communicates, thinks, plays and relates to others, often at home and often through play. They also ask about your family's routines, priorities and concerns.
3. Eligibility. Each state sets its own definition of eligibility, based on the evaluation. ¹
4. The IFSP meeting. If your child is eligible, you and the team write a plan: the outcomes you want, the services, who provides them, how often and where.

If your child is not found eligible, ask what the results showed, what to watch for, and when you can ask for another evaluation if things change. You can also ask your pediatrician about a referral to a specialist. ²

If your child is 3 or older

From age 3, evaluations and services move to the public school system. CDC's advice is to call any local public elementary school, even if your child does not go to school there, and say: ²

"I have concerns about my child's development and I would like to have my child evaluated through the school system for preschool special education services."

If the person who answers is not familiar with preschool special education, ask for the school or district's special education director. ²

Making the most of the evaluation

• Bring your notes. A list of what you have noticed, with dates, is more useful than memory. A printed milestone checklist with your Yes / Not yet / Not sure answers works well.
• Say what you see at home. Children often do less, or more, with strangers. Evaluators want to know what is typical for your child.
• Ask about hearing. If speech is a concern, ask whether your child's hearing has been checked recently.
• Ask questions about the plan. How often services will happen, where, who will come, and how progress will be reviewed.
• Keep copies. Ask for written results and a copy of the IFSP.

While you wait

A referral is a good moment to keep doing simple things that help any child: talking through daily routines, reading together, playing on the floor, and giving your child time to respond. CDC's milestone pages include activity ideas for each age. And if your child's doctor has not done a developmental screening at the recommended ages (9, 18 and 30 months, plus autism screening at 18 and 24 months), you can ask for one. ⁶

What childow does here

Every childow milestone page shows the early intervention contact for your state next to the checklist, and a "Not yet" answer adds the call to your visit questions. The program names and phone numbers come from the ECTA Center directory, which is refreshed regularly; programs change numbers, so the program's own website is the final word. ⁵ We never store or show the names of individual coordinators.