New from Thriving PA: Pediatric Healthcare and Infant & Toddler Early Intervention Fact Sheet

(January 21, 2025)

Early Intervention (EI) provides services to children with special needs and supports their families. Pennsylvania’s Infant and Toddler EI (also known as Part C) provides services to children from birth to three years who have a developmental delay or a high probability of having a developmental delay.

Infant and Toddler EI addresses five developmental areas: physical development; cognitive development; communication development (language); social or emotional development; and adaptive skills. Specific services include:

Providers are Essential to Referrals

As a trusted source for families, Pediatric Primary Care Providers are a key part of the network of professionals who refer to Infant Toddler EI. When families are concerned that their infant or toddler may have a developmental delay or disability, they are likely to seek guidance from professionals such as hospital staff, physicians, healthcare providers, and childcare providers.

Along with our partners in the Thriving PA campaign, Allies for Children recently developed a fact sheet to help Pediatric Primary Care Providers learn more about how Infant Toddler EI can support their youngest patients and their families.

The Referral Process

The process to receive services involves a referral from a specialist (known as Informed Clinical Opinion) or conditions that put children at risk for a delay, such as Down Syndrome. If a healthcare provider or parent is on the fence about contacting EI services, it’s important to remember that acting early on developmental concerns is crucial. A child’s development happens quickly and intervening early is more likely to have positive outcomes across developmental domains. Referring early also has the benefit of reducing the need for special education services long term. Once consent from the parent/guardian is obtained and the referral is complete, the EI provider will conduct a deeper evaluation to determine if services are needed.

These services are delivered through an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), a document developed in collaboration between a team of EI professionals and the family, which outlines services and supports for the child and their family. These services help train families, who are then encouraged to carry out recommended activities at home to help support their child’s specific developmental needs.

Families should expect to have the evaluation, and if a child is eligible for services, the IFSP completed within 45 days from the initial referral. Providers should check with the family to follow up on the evaluation, as information about a child’s eligibility will be sent to the parent or guardian, regardless of who made the referral.

Developmental Screenings are Reimbursable

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends developmental screenings at 9, 18, and 30 months. It’s also key for providers to know that these developmental screenings are reimbursable by Medicaid and insurers.

Learn more about Infant and Toddler Early Intervention

  • To learn more about the Thriving PA Early Intervention Agenda: click here 
  • To make a referral: click here
  • To access the new Thriving PA Pediatric Provider Document: click here

Cristina Codario, Allies for Children Policy Director