Early Intervention
If you are the parent of an infant or toddler birth to three years of age, living in Montgomery County, PA & have questions about your child’s development, call 610.277.7176. Early Intervention services are free to all children who are found eligible. More than 1 million neural connections are made every second in the first years of life. Don’t wait.
These earliest years are too important!
INTAKE AND ELIGIBILITY
Children 0-3 years of age living in Montgomery County are eligible to receive services depending upon results of a comprehensive evaluation. If your child is 33 months to school age, please contact the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit.
From your initial contact with the Office of Early Intervention, it could take up to 45 days for your child to have the evaluation completed. During the appointment, the team will evaluate your child in five key areas:
- Physical Development
- Language and Speech Development
- Social and Emotional Development
- Adaptive (Self-Help) Development
- Cognitive Development
A child is eligible for Early Intervention services by meeting one of the following criteria:
- 25% delay and/or 1.5 Standard Deviations below the mean (depending on testing tool) in one or more areas of development
- A specialist’s determination that there is a delay not measured by available assessments, and the delay results in functional limitations of the child’s daily activity (Informed Clinical Opinion)
- Known physical or mental conditions which have a high probability for developmental delays (such as Down Syndrome).
Eligibility for Early Intervention services is not based on the financial status of a child or family, and are only based on the findings of the evaluation.
CONTACT US
610-277-7176
EIContacts@montgomerycountypa.gov
WHAT TO EXPECT WITH EARLY INTERVENTION COORDINATION
Service coordination is the link between the system of services and supports, and the children and families who need help. If a child is eligible for early intervention supports, a Service Coordinator will begin working with that child and family immediately.
The Service Coordinator gathers information and works with the family, providers and evaluation team to develop goals and outcomes that are important to the development of the child and the child's family. The information and goals are compiled into a comprehensive document called the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This is the guiding document of the child's journey through the early intervention system, as it details all of the services and support the child will receive. Service Coordination is a service provided by knowledgeable and committed employees who are invested in helping the children and families of Montgomery County.