1.
“Don’t Worry.
But Don’t Wait.”
How Early On Works
www.1800EarlyOn.org
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2.
What is Early On
• A statewide system of early
intervention services
mandated by federal
legislation (Part C of IDEA);
• Designed to help families
find the social, health and
educational services that
will promote the
development of their infants
and toddlers with special
needs;
• Based on partnerships
between families and
service providers and on
collaboration among
community agencies,
organizations and private
practitioners;
• Emphasizes early
identification
and early services.

3.
Early On Services Are:
• Strength(s) based
• Family Centered
• Based on
parent/professional
partnerships
• Based on interagency
collaboration

4.
Eligibility
1. Any infant or toddler
with an established
condition; OR
2. A 20% developmental
delay in one or more
area.
What Are Established Conditions?
Children with established conditions
are those from birth through
age two who have a
diagnosed physical or mental
condition that has a high
probability of resulting in a
developmental delay.
QUICK NOTE:
Eligibility is not determined by
income

5.
Categories of
Established Conditions
• Congenital Anomalies
• Chromosomal Anomalies
• Infectious Conditions
• Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders
• Other Disorders/Diseases
• Hearing Deficiency
• Other Fetal/Placental Anomalies
• Exposures Affecting Fetus
• Chronic Illness
• Developmental Disorders
• Mental Health Conditions
QUICK NOTE: If your child has a
diagnosed established condition, no
evaluation is required to determine
eligibility.

6.
Areas of
Development
 Physical (including hearing and vision)
 Gross and Fine Motor
Development
 Communication Development
 Cognitive Development
 Social/Emotional Development
 Adaptive (self-help)
QUICK NOTE: These are the areas
in which a developmental
delay may occur. A 20%
developmental delay in 1
or more areas will qualify a
child for Early On services.

7.
Timeline
1. A referral is placed on behalf of a
child with whom there is a concern.
2. Families Receive Written Notice
within 10 Calendar Days.
This notification includes three
pieces of information: Information
about Early On, a form to gather
permission to evaluate your child,
and information about your families
rights.
1. Your service coordinator will contact
your family to schedule an
appointment for an evaluation. The
evaluation will determine if your
child is eligible.
2. If your child is determined eligible, a
child’s IFSP must completed in 45
days from the referral date.

8.
Evaluation
Your service coordinator will be in
charge of setting up the appointment
for the evaluation. The evaluation can
be provided anywhere your family or
child spends time (e.g. your home or a
child care setting).
The evaluation will look at how your
child grows and learns. They will look at
how your child is:
•Thinking
•Talking
•Moving
•Hearing
•Seeing
•Responding to others
•Taking care of basic needs (feeding or
calming down)
The Early On team will also gather
information about your child’s past and
current health. It may include
information from your child’s doctor or
caregiver.

9.
The Individualized
Family Service Plan
The IFSP meeting will include:
•Results of the evaluation
•Concerns of the parents
•Outcomes desired by the
parents for their child
•Outcomes in natural
environments and
daily routines
•Supports needed by the family
•Early intervention services
identified to support the
outcomes
•Every six months or sooner, a
review of the IFSP outcomes
must be evaluated.
•At least every 12 months a new
IFSP is developed.

10.
Leaving Early On
Children transition out of Early
On at different times and
reasons. Many children stay
eligible until they turn three. At
this age, Early On ends for
every child.
No matter what the reason,
your Early On team will put
together a transition plan. This
plan will include the next steps
your family will take to continue
to support your child’s
development.
QUICK NOTE: This planning must
start at least 90 days and no
more than six months before
your child’s third birthday.

11.
Have Questions?
Call: 1-800-EARLY ON (327-5966)
OR Email Us at:
eoreferral@edzone.net
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