Diverse faces of toddlers of all abilities

From Birth to Three Toolkit

A Guide to Washington Services for Infants and Toddlers (ages 0-3 with disabilities)

New parents have a lot to manage. Concern about whether a child’s growth and development are on track can be confusing. This toolkit provides places to begin if caregivers suspect that a baby or young child may need services due to a developmental delay or disability.

Presenting our newest resource –From Birth to Three Toolkit. This toolkit encompasses a collection of our informative articles, and serves as a guide to services for infants and toddlers (ages 0-3) with disabilities.

Download the Complete Birth to Three Toolkit for Ages 0-3

A user – friendly toolkit for families, Each section is detailed below:

Understanding Developmental Milestones and Delays – Developmental Screening (Birth to Three and Medically Needed Developmental Screening)
IDEA Part C: Early Intervention Services for Young Children with Disabilities – IDEA: The Foundation of Special Education
What Happens During an Early Intervention Evaluation?
Next Steps When Your Child is Found Eligible for Early Intervention Services (EIS)
From Referral to Action: Getting started with Early Intervention Services (EIS)
Getting to Know the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Preparing for Productive and Effective Conversations with Education and Service Providers: Our top three tips for effective communication and productive conversations
What You Need to know About my Child : A one-pager sharing your child’s strengths, challenges, effective strategies, and red flags
Pathways to Support: Where to Begin : Accessing services through the transition from an IFSP, or beginning with evaluation for an IEP
What to Expect at the transition Conference Going from Part C to Part B: A guide to help you prepare for the transition planning process
Who’s Who of the IEP Team: An easy to implement form for identifying members of the IEP team and organizing their contact information
Differences Between Part B and Part C Services: A cheat sheet to the major differences in eligibility, delivery and maintenance of IFSPs and IEPs
How and Who to Tell When Your Child is Exceptional: A guide to enrollment in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) for dependent children of active – duty servicemembers – Found on PAVE’s article Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Part 1: What Makes a Military Family Exceptional?
Your Child’s Application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI): A step-by-step guide to submitting an application for SSI on behalf of your child
Your Child’s Application for Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA): A step-by-step guide to submitting an application for DDA on behalf of your child
Resources to Help You Be the Best for Your Child: Emotional and respite support programs designed for caregiving family members
Communication Log : A tool for tracking your conversations with members of the IEP team
Abbreviation Cheat Sheet and Glossary of Terms
Frequently Asked Questions

Early Learning Articles:

Next Steps Checklist When Your Child is Found Eligible for Early Intervention Services (EIS)

The evaluation timeline for eligibility for early intervention services (EIS) begins with a written referral and varies depending on the age of the child at the time of the referral.

Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) has 45 days starting on the date of referral to:

evaluate for eligibility
conduct assessments
hold the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting
develop an IFSP

Parents/custodial caregivers must provide written consent for services to begin

The IFSP will be reviewed every six months and revised yearly until the child is too old for ESIT services, or more often if needed.

Once the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) has been written, services must start within 30 days unless the IFSP team determines that a later start date better meets the individual needs of the child and family

The Family Resource Coordinator (FRC) schedules a transition conference for when the child will age out of ESIT services, at least 90 days before the child’s third birthday

Calendar days are all days of the week, including weekends, and school, state, federal and religious holidays.

According to ESIT’s Practice Guide for Late Services: Provision and Documentation, the day of referral counts as the first day in the timeline. Similarly, the date the IFSP is created counts as the first day in the 30-day timeline during which services must begin.

Graphic explaining the process from Referral to Action Getting Started with Early Intervention Services (EIS)

Download this graphic for future reference