Demystifying Early Start
Early Start, Early Intervention, First Steps, 0-3—It gets confusing fast.
Let me walk you through the basics about accessing Early Start services for your child.
WHAT: In California, we call it “Early Start”. This infant development program is specifically for children 0-3 who have, or are at risk for, a developmental disability. Early Start is overseen by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and coordinated by the 21 local Regional Centers in California.
WHO: All children 0-3 years-old are eligible for a free evaluation if there are professional or caregiver concerns regarding any area of their development.
Children 0-3 years-old may be eligible for ongoing Early Start services if “…through documented evaluation and assessment they meet one of the following criteria:
have a 33% or greater developmental delay in one or more areas of either cognitive, communication, social or emotional, adaptive, or physical and motor development including vision and hearing; or
have an established risk condition of known etiology, with a high probability of resulting in delayed development; or
be considered at high risk of having a substantial developmental disability due to a combination of biomedical risk factors of which are diagnosed by qualified personnel” (SCLARC, 2020)
WHEN: You’ll need to call and ask for an intake prior to your child’s 3rd birthday. After that, and Early Start isn’t an option. If you have concerns, it’s best to call as soon as you can.
Some children are referred early by healthcare professionals if they are born with a condition that puts them at high risk (like Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder, Cerebral Palsy, prematurity, etc.). Lots of children are referred later by their caregivers with concerns.
Specifically, if you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, they won’t be eligible for speech therapy until they turn 18 months old. If you have concerns earlier than that, they may be eligible for other infant developmental programs before speech therapy is an option.
WHERE: It gets confusing about who to call and which Regional Center you live in. You can easily locate your local Regional Center by using this map.
WHY: Your child can access intake and assessment services no matter your income, race, or location. So if you have concerns about your child’s development, it’s a great option to call for an intake. If your child doesn’t qualify, then great, you have some peace of mind from the intake and evaluation and can get a better sense of their developmental status. If they qualify for services, then you’ll get the help your family needs.
HOW: Once you locate your regional center, the process goes like this: intake, assessment, treatment, transition.
Intake: you’ll want to call your Regional Center directly and ask for “the Early Start Intake and Referral line”. You can contact the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center here and Lanterman Regional Center here. The intake should happen over the phone.
Assessment: Usually, a provider (usually it’s an Occupational Therapist or Physical Therapist) will come to your home to evaluate your child’s overall developmental status. If you have concerns specific to speech, or concerns come up during the initial assessment, a Speech Therapist will do a separate evaluation.
The evaluator will get some background information from you, observe you and your child interact, and complete a standardized assessment. This should give them a snapshot of your child’s developmental status.
After the assessment, they’ll write a report and submit it to the Regional Center for final determination of services. At this point, if your child does not qualify, nothing further will happen unless you appeal the decision (basically saying you disagree). Just because you appeal does not met your child will automatically receive services, but the case will get a second look.
Treatment: If your child does qualify for services based on the assessment, then the Regional Center will set up an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This plan will outline the services your child qualifies for, the number of hours for each service, and where the service will take place. Usually, children qualify for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Infant Stimulation (infant teacher), Behavioral Services, and/or a Center Based Program. Therapy services usually take place once or twice a week for about an hour, and Center Based program usually run three days per week for 2-3 hours each day. Services offered are dependent on your child’s needs.
Treatment occurs in six month intervals and at the end of the sixth month, a progress report is due to continue or end services. Your provider and Service Coordinator should keep you informed about this process.
Treatment ends when your child improves their skills to the average range or they turn three years old (whichever is first).
Transition: If your child receives services up until their third birthday, they’ll then transition to the public school system. Your Service Coordinator will help you with this process. The public school will determine if your child is eligible for ongoing services. Your child may also qualify for ongoing support from the Regional Center/DDS if they meet certain criteria. The transition should be complete by the time your child is three years old.
I hope this sheds some much needed light on the Early Start program. If you’re eligible for Speech Therapy and live within the SCLARC or FDLRC catchment areas, feel free to reach out to me to see if we may be a good fit. Or feel free to schedule a consultation if you have general questions about Early Start services.