Part C EligibilityPart C Eligibility

(Part H)(Part H)

Eligibility Criteria:Eligibility Criteria:

• Children ages birth through two who are Children ages birth through two who are developmentally delayed or are at developmentally delayed or are at established risk for developmental delay established risk for developmental delay are eligible for early intervention are eligible for early intervention servicesservices

Definition of developmental Definition of developmental delay:delay:

1. There is a discrepancy of 25% or more 1. There is a discrepancy of 25% or more between chronological age after correction for between chronological age after correction for prematurity, and developmental age in any prematurity, and developmental age in any one area (cognitive, physical, communication one area (cognitive, physical, communication social or emotional or adaptive); orsocial or emotional or adaptive); or

2. The child is functioning at 1.5 standard 2. The child is functioning at 1.5 standard deviations or more below the mean in any one deviations or more below the mean in any one area; area;

Definition of developmental Definition of developmental delay continued:delay continued:

3) Delays of at least 20% or at least 1 standard 3) Delays of at least 20% or at least 1 standard deviation below the mean in 2 or more areas are deviation below the mean in 2 or more areas are determined; or determined; or

4) Clinical judgment of the multidisciplinary team 4) Clinical judgment of the multidisciplinary team (including the professional in the area(s) of (including the professional in the area(s) of delay) concludes a developmental delay exists delay) concludes a developmental delay exists when specific tests are not available or when when specific tests are not available or when testing does not reflect the child’s actual testing does not reflect the child’s actual performance. performance.

Definition of Definition of established riskestablished risk for for developmental delay: developmental delay:

• Children with a diagnosed mental or Children with a diagnosed mental or physical condition that has a high physical condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental probability of resulting in developmental delay; or based on informed clinical opinion, delay; or based on informed clinical opinion, are eligible for early intervention services. are eligible for early intervention services. The delay may or may not be exhibited at The delay may or may not be exhibited at the time of diagnosis but the natural history the time of diagnosis but the natural history of the disorder includes the need for early of the disorder includes the need for early intervention services. intervention services.

““At-riskAt-risk for Developmental for Developmental Delay” does not qualify child for Delay” does not qualify child for

services:services:

• Infants and toddlers who are identified Infants and toddlers who are identified as biological or environmental risk for as biological or environmental risk for developmental delay should be in the developmental delay should be in the screening and tracking process in order screening and tracking process in order that their development be followed as that their development be followed as closely as possible for immediate closely as possible for immediate eligibility identification as appropriate. eligibility identification as appropriate.

Informed Clinical Opinion:Informed Clinical Opinion:• necessary safeguard against eligibility necessary safeguard against eligibility

determination based upon isolated information or determination based upon isolated information or test scores alonetest scores alone

• may include:may include:– clinical interviews with parents;clinical interviews with parents;– observation of parent-child interaction;observation of parent-child interaction;– information from teachers or child care providers; and information from teachers or child care providers; and – neurodevelopmental or other physical examinationsneurodevelopmental or other physical examinations

Informed Clinical Opinion Informed Clinical Opinion Continued :Continued :

Appropriate documentation of the sources and use Appropriate documentation of the sources and use of informed clinical opinion:of informed clinical opinion:

1. to provide a baseline against which to measure 1. to provide a baseline against which to measure the progress and changing needs of the child and the progress and changing needs of the child and family over time;family over time;

2. to provide information to assure that procedural 2. to provide information to assure that procedural safeguards were provided in the evaluation and safeguards were provided in the evaluation and assessment process and the determination of assessment process and the determination of eligibility. eligibility.

Informed Clinical Opinionmeans...

Informed Clinical OpinionDOES NOT mean...

An opinion made bypractitioners qualified toevaluate the child’s fivedevelopmental domains.

An opinion is made based onmultiple sources of qualitativeand quantitative informationabout the child’s development.

A conversation is held amongparents, service coordinators,and the multidisciplinary teammembers who were a part of theevaluation process accompaniedby a written explanation of yourrationale for using informedclinical opinion.

Documenting a disability ordelay.

An opinion made by justanyone.

An opinion is made based onjust a single source ofinformation, isolatedinformation, or test scoresalone.

A team’s opinion that a child iseligible without anaccompanying conversationwith the parents or a writtenexplanation.

Documenting a risk of having adelay.

Adapted with permission from Early Childhood Connections. (2001, May 9). Colorado servicecoordination training module 5: Informed clinical opinion. Retrieved January 6, 2004, from http://www.cde.state.co.us/earlychildhoodconnections/scct.htm

Informed Clinical OpinionInformed clinical opinion is an opinion made by a multidisciplinary team using qualitative and quantitative information in order to determine eligibility and as a basis for planning.