Pennsylvania's Early Intervention System

In Pennsylvania, Early Intervention (EI) provides support to children, between birth and the time they enter Kindergarten, who have developmental delays and disabilities. This includes children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), whether or not they have a formal medical diagnosis.

To determine eligibility for Early Intervention, typically a child is referred for screening, where an expert will take a quick look at the way the child plays, moves around the room, and attempts to communicate. Sometimes the screening is enough for the parent and the evaluator to decide that the child is not eligible for Early Intervention, and sometimes it is clear that more information about how the child is developing is needed. When more information is needed, a Multidisciplinary Evaluation (MDE) occurs.

Children Under 3 Years of Age

Children under 3 years of age are eligible for EI services if they have a developmental delay in at least one of the following 5 primary areas of child development:

• cognition
• communication
• physical development
• social/emotional development
• self-care skills

In Pennsylvania, a child has a developmental delay if he or she is 25% or more behind peers of the same age in at least one area or 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on appropriate standardized tests. (For example, a child who is 18 months old who is talking at the level of a 12 month old is more than 25% delayed in the area of communication and would be eligible for Early Intervention related to communication issues.) If there are no reliable tests to determine if a child has a delay in one of the areas above, the multidisciplinary team may use informed clinical opinion. In such a circumstance, a trained professional will use his or her observational skills and ask for information and opinions from the parents in order to make a determination of delay.

Additionally, children diagnosed with certain conditions with a high probability of developmental delay, even if they are not showing a delay at the time, will also be eligible for EI services in Pennsylvania. Examples of some presumptive conditions are fetal alcohol syndrome, Down syndrome, and failure to thrive.

For children under 3, EI is designed to enhance learning for children in their Natural Environments. That means children receive supports and services within their daily routines wherever they spend their days (for example, home, daycare, Grandma's house, etc.). Services are delivered as determined by the individual needs of the child and family and according to the family's expressed wishes. There is an emphasis in the Infants and Toddlers Early Intervention system on teaching families to work with their children, in addition to therapists providing all services. Services and where and how they will be delivered are described in a document called an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

There is no charge for Infants and Toddlers Early Intervention in Pennsylvania. This is not true in many other states. In Pennsylvania, the 0 to 3 EI system is funded by the Department of Human Services (formerly the Department of Public Welfare) and administered by county Early Intervention agencies.

Children Over 3 But Not Yet in Kindergarten

After children turn 3 and until they are enrolled in Kindergarten (called the Age of Beginners, usually 5 or 6 years old), Preschool Special Education becomes available to children who qualify. Pennsylvania refers to Preschool Special Education as Early Intervention, in addition to using this term for the system for children under 3.

Preschool Early Intervention is paid for by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the local school districts, not the Department of Human Services. The local school districts are accountable for the provision of services, though most school districts delegate these responsibilities to the Intermediate Unit in their county or region or to private agencies.

There are 29 Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania. They are part of the governance structure of public education and are located in the middle between the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the local school districts. They provide specialized services to local school districts that can be operated more effectively and efficiently on a regional basis. In addition to providing Early Intervention services, they sometimes provide services to school-age students.

There are different eligibility standards for Infants and Toddlers Early Intervention and Preschool Early Intervention. Therefore, children who are already enrolled in 0 to 3 Early Intervention, who are turning 3, will be evaluated before transitioning from the Infants and Toddlers program to a Preschool Early Intervention program. Children who are referred at age 2 1/2 to age 5 also must be evaluated using the preschool standards.

Children are eligible for Preschool Early Intervention if they have a developmental delay (as defined above) or disability (such as ASD) and are found to need special education and related services to make progress. This second requirement — needing specialized services — differs from the Infants and Toddlers system, where a child is eligible simply if they have a developmental delay.

Services and supports look different in Preschool Early Intervention, compared to the Infants and Toddlers system. Rather than taking place in the Natural Environment, services are usually center-based. Children receiving Preschool Early Intervention may attend a special school or may go to the local Intermediate Unit to receive specialized services. Services will be less focused on the family and more concentrated on the child's needs. An IFSP will describe the services a child receives, including when and where the services will be delivered.

Oversight of Services

In Pennsylvania, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) was created to oversee both the Infants and Toddlers and Preschool Early Intervention programs. The office ensures compliance with federal and state laws related to Early Intervention and strives to make the transition from one system to the other as seamless as possible. If parents encounter problems with Early Intervention, they may contact OCDEL to see if OCDEL can resolve the problem quickly. If this does not solve the problem, parents may file a formal, written complaint with OCDEL or proceed with other dispute resolution procedures.

Who to Call for Help in Obtaining Early Intervention Services?

CONNECT Helpline: 1-800-692-7288

Birth to 3 years

• Philadelphia: 215-685-4646
• Bucks: 215-444-2800
• Chester: 610-344-5948
• Delaware: 610-713-2406
• Chester-Upland: 610-872-4590
• Montgomery: 610-277-7176

3 to 5 years

• Philadelphia: 215-222-8054
• Bucks: 1-800-770-4822, ext. 1716
• Chester: 484-237-5150
• Delaware: 610-938-2800, ext. 6141
• Montgomery: 610-539-8550

For children who are 2 ½ years old — 5 years old, living in counties in Pennsylvania not listed above, contact your local school district to learn how to request an evaluation.

Additional Resources:

• What is an Intermediate Unit?
• A Family's Introduction to Early Intervention in Pennsylvania
• Early Intervention Family Resources Brochure
• Early Intervention Supports and Services: Facts for Families