Early intervention provides support and resources for family members and caregivers to enhance a child’s development in their natural environment (home, daycare, etc).
The Wayne County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides early intervention services to eligible children in partnership with the Wayne County Help Me Grow and all 10 of our local school districts.
Children with developmental disabilities ages birth – 3yrs
Early Intervention (EI) programs in Ohio are built on the philosophy that every child is unique and capable of learning, and that each family plays the primary role in their child’s development. The Wayne County Early Intervention team members understand that some children require extra help to reach their full potential.
Through a team approach, with respect for cultural diversity, our team members help families and caregivers with specialized coaching, specific techniques, and targeted resources. These specifically designed interventions are developed for each unique child and may be used in every day interactions and routines.
To be eligible for Wayne County’s Early Intervention services, a child must be a resident of Wayne County, under three years of age, and be eligible under the guidelines of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Early Intervention Part C, for children birth to 3 years of age.
Infants and children are determined eligible when they have experienced a significant developmental delay, or have a medical diagnosis which has a high probability of resulting in delays, in one or more of the following areas:
To learn more and to fill out a referral please visit:
The "Refer to Help Me Grow" page of the Ohio Department of Health websiteThere are no costs to the families in Wayne County for Early Intervention services. Early Intervention services are funded through local and state tax dollars. Local dollars are provided through the Wayne County Board of Developmental Disabilities levies plus funding from the State of Ohio for service coordination.
Your Help Me Grow service coordinator will facilitate your referral to our program. Upon referral, your Service Coordinator (SC) will present your child’s case to our Wayne County Early Intervention Team. This team includes:
Based upon your expressed concerns for your child, one of these team members will be chosen to be the Primary Service Provider (PSP) for your family.
Your Service Coordinator and Primary Service Provider (PSP) will arrange a time convenient for your family to complete a developmental evaluation with your child and assist in identifying your concerns regarding your child’s development. These individualized, confidential conversations are conducted by phone or in meetings. Your PSP and Early Intervention Team are available to answer your family’s questions and will provide ongoing assistance for your child and family throughout your participation in EI.
Your SC and PSP will collaborate with you and your family to plan and complete an assessment for your child. This assessment is designed to gather important information about your child’s unique learning style within your daily activities. Shortly after completion, the SC or PSP will review the results of your child’s developmental assessment with you.
The assessment results will be used to help guide you in designing your child’s Early Intervention services. Your child’s intervention services will be formalized through an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). An IFSP meeting will be arranged by your service coordinator. You are encouraged to include family members, friends and other significant individuals in the writing of this plan. Your IFSP will include your concerns, a summary of your child’s developmental assessment results, the outcomes you set for your child and family, and a listing of the EI services necessary to address those outcomes. This plan will be used to guide services and track your child’s progress.
Once Wayne County DD Early Intervention services are officially listed on your child’s IFSP, delivery of these ongoing services will begin. EI services are available in your home or other community setting, such as day care or the home of a family babysitter. Your family’s intervention program is adjusted based on your child’s progress and the changing needs of the family. In addition, services are provided to meet the scheduling demands of families between Monday and Friday. Progress is reviewed with the entire EI team on a quarterly basis and families are invited and encouraged to participate by phone during these reviews.
At age 3, children are no longer eligible for EI services. Nine months prior to your child’s 3rd birthday, your service coordinator, PSP, and your family will begin to prepare for your child’s transition process from EI to preschool.Prior to 3 months before your child’s 3rd birthday, your SC, PSP and school district / ESC representative will hold a Transition Meeting. This meeting will give you the opportunity to learn about services available to your child once they turn three years old if they are determined by the district to meet IDEA Part B eligibility for services as a preschooler. Per federal law, a child’s home school district becomes responsible for educating a preschool aged child who has been identified with special needs.