When a child is referred to the program, a multidisciplinary evaluation is conducted to determine whether the child is eligible or qualifies for services commonly referred to as Part C early intervention services. There will be no out of pocket expense to the family for the initial evaluation.
The evaluation process takes a couple of hours, and in some cases, more time. The multidisciplinary evaluation is conducted by a team of professionals that may include one or more of the following: an audiologist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech-language therapist, a psychologist, a developmental specialist, a developmental registered nurse, a family resource specialist, and a service coordinator. The child's family is also a very important part of this team.
Together, this "family support team" will assess the child's strengths and needs in various areas of development, including the physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional and adaptive domains.
Once the evaluation is complete, the team will discuss the results and write a summary report. If the team determines that the child is eligible, an assigned family service coordinator will explain what types of services and programs are available for the child, and link the family with the appropriate resources. The coordinator will also be available to answer any questions the family may have about Part C services and will help resolve any problems that may arise.