Discovering Early Childhood Intervention Services (EIC)
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PSN Team 
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Discovering Early Childhood
Early childhood intervention (ECI) provides support and education for children from birth to three years of age with special needs who fall under the following categories:
- Developmental delays
- Disabilities
- Auditory or visual impairment
ECI ensures that families with young children have access to resources and support to maximize their child’s cognitive, physical, and social/emotional development when a medical diagnosis or developmental delay inhibits the child from meeting developmental milestones.
Services can vary from state to state and across different agencies but typically include the following:
- Behavioral intervention
- Case management or service coordination
- Cognitive development
- Communication development
- Family training
- Nutrition services
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Psychological services
- Skills training
- Social or emotional development
- Speech therapy
In many cases, services are provided in a child’s natural environment, including home, daycare, park, library, playground, or other familiar settings, depending on the provider and service being performed.
The assessment determines eligibility, and income is not a factor. Most states have funding available to bridge the gap when insurance does not cover a specific service.
Every state differs in the programs available to families. A complete list of states with program links and phone numbers can be found below:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/state-text.html
More Early Intervention
- Early Intervention: First Steps in the Right Direction
- Are You on the Fence About Early Intervention: A Therapist’s Perspective
- Take Note: A New Hybrid Early Intervention Program Opens
- Take Your First Steps With Early Steps
- Where Do I Go for Evaluations
- Miracle Babies What You Need to Know
- Autism and Early Intervention
- Early Intervention Games
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This post originally appeared on our March/April 2023 Magazine
