Is my child eligible for early intervention services?
The Help Me Grow Washington Hotline can help you find out if your child is eligible for ESIT. Call 1.800.322.2588 (TTY 1.800.833.6384) for a Family Resources Coordinator in your area.
Who is eligible?
Children under three years old that do not meet milestones may be able to receive ESIT services.
What eligibility looks like:
1. Developmental Delay:
If a child is not meeting milestones in one or more developmental areas, an evaluation can be done to see if a child is eligible for ESIT. This must be done by a qualified professional. To learn more about professionals, visit the guidelines webpage.
Developmental areas include:
- Cognitive – how a child learns, thinks, and solves problems.
- Physical - how a child rolls, crawls, walks, reaches, and grasps. This area also includes vision and hearing.
- Communication – how a child understands, talks, and listens.
- Social or Emotional – how a child interacts with others, plays, and deals with challenges.
- Adaptive – how a child eats or adjusts to new routines.
2. Informed Clinical Opinion:
This is used when a professional thinks that a child’s delay would worsen without ESIT services.
3. Diagnosed condition:
If a child has a diagnosed condition that has a high risk of causing a developmental delay.
Some conditions could include:
- Chromosomal abnormalities such as Down Syndrome.
- Genetic or congenital disorders such as heart defects.
- Sensory impairment such as loss of or challenges with touch, balance, sound, and vision.
- Inborn errors of metabolism such as Cystic Fibrosis.
- Autism, Epilepsy or other Neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Conditions that are a result of exposure to substances like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
If you have questions, email dcyf.esithelp@dcyf.wa.gov.
