Hand in Hand Development, Inc. is approved as a provider of Early Intervention program services and contracted with New York State and New York City to deliver early intervention program services.  
Eligibility for the early intervention program can be determined only by approved evaluators under contract with New York State and New York City municipality. If a child is found eligible for early intervention program, all needed early intervention services are identified in collaboration with parent and must be authorized by New York City municipality.  
The Early Intervention Program and Early Intervention Services are available through the Early Intervention Program for children less than three years of age who have or are suspected of having a development delay and/or disability.

Early Intervention is a public program which is funded by New York State and county governments.
All children must be referred to the municipality to access Early Intervention Program services, Contact your Early Intervention Official. Call 1-800-522-5006. In New York City Call 311.
New York City municipality will arrange for service providers, considering the individual needs of the child and family, to deliver services authorized by New York City municipality.

All Services are strictly confidential and are provided in locations convenient for families. Services are provided at no charge for families.
Health insurance may be accessed for reimbursement for early intervention services provided to eligible children and their families.
When Early intervention services are delivered in child care setting or community locations that require fee, the parent is responsible for paying any associated cost with such access to child care or community locations.

 

 

 

  Early Intervention services can help you and your family:
• Learn the best ways to care for your child.
• Support and promote your child's development.
• Include your child in your family and community life.

Who provides Early Intervention services?
Only qualified professionals
– individuals who are licensed, certified, or registered in their discipline and approved by the State
– can deliver early intervention services.

Early Intervention services can be provided anywhere in the community, including:
- Your home.
- Your child care center or family day care home.
- Recreational centers, play groups, playgrounds, libraries, or any place parents and children go for fun and support
- Early childhood programs and centers.

Home- and community-based visits: In this model, services are given to a child and/or parent or other family member or caregiver at home or in the community (such as a relative's home, child care center, family day care home, play group, library story hour, or other places parents go with their children).

Mission and Goals of the Early Intervention Program The mission of the Early Intervention Program is to identify and evaluate as early as possible those infants and toddlers whose healthy development is compromised and provide for appropriate intervention to improve child and family development.

Family-Centered:
- Support parents in meeting their responsibilities to nurture and enhance their children's development.

Community-Based:
- Create opportunities for full participation of children with disabilities and their families in their communities by ensuring services are delivered in natural environments to the maximum extent appropriate.

Coordinated Services:
- Ensure early intervention services are coordinated with the full array of early childhood, health and mental health, educational, social, and other community-based services needed by and provided to children and their families. 		 

 

 

     

Measurable Outcomes for Children & Families:
• Early intervention services should enhance child development and functional outcomes and improve family life through the delivery of effective, outcome-based high quality early intervention services.

Early Intervention & Medical Home:
the role of primary medical care
• Ensure early intervention services complement the child's medical home by involving primary and specialty health care providers in supporting family participation in early intervention services.
• It is important for all children to have a primary care physician (medical home) who is available to support the child’s and family’s services in early intervention and beyond.
If you decide that the Early Intervention Program can help your child, the next step is to have your child evaluated.
Multidisciplinary simply means that more than one professional will be a part of your child's evaluation.

Your child's evaluation team should have:
• A professional who can look at your child's overall development.
• A professional with special knowledge about your child's problem.

The reasons for the evaluation are to:
• Find out if your child is eligible for early intervention services; and,
• Gather facts about your child's strengths and needs that will help you make good decisions about services.

For example, if your child is delayed in sitting up, walking, or other motor abilities, a motor therapist might be on your child's team. Your initial service coordinator will give you a list of evaluators. You have the right to choose any evaluator from this list.

Your service coordinator is your key to early intervention services! There are two types of service coordinators in New York State
an initial service coordinator and an ongoing service coordinator. Your initial service coordinator will be appointed to you by your Early Intervention Official.

Ask your initial service coordinator if you need more information about an evaluator. Your initial service coordinator can give you more details and help you decide on an evaluation team that will be best for your child and family.
If your child has a diagnosed disability, she or he will always be eligible for early intervention services.
 
Your child will still need a multidisciplinary evaluation to look at all areas of development and help with the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Every child referred to the Early Intervention Program has the right to a free multidisciplinary evaluation.

Once you pick an evaluator, either you or the initial service coordinator – with your permission – will call the evaluator and make an appointment for your child and family. You, your service coordinator, or your evaluator must tell your Early Intervention Official about your choice.

Your initial service coordinator will help you with all the steps necessary to get services
– from your child's multidisciplinary evaluation to your first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

You will be asked to choose your ongoing service coordinator as part of your first IFSP.

The main job of your ongoing service coordinator is to make sure you and your child get the services in your IFSP.

Your ongoing service coordinator will also help you change your IFSP when you need to and make sure your IFSP is reviewed on a regular basis.

You can keep your initial service coordinator – or you can choose a new person to be your ongoing service coordinator.

 

 

 

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