Who Qualifies for Early Intervention?

Navigating eligibility can feel like deciphering a new language, but the criteria in Illinois are specific. Not every child who seems “behind” will qualify, but the threshold aims to catch those who need support the most.

To qualify for services in Illinois, a child must be under the age of three and meet one of the following criteria:

1. Developmental Delay

A child is considered to have a developmental delay if they are evaluated and found to have a 30% delay or greater in one or more of the following five areas of development:

• Cognitive Development: How a child learns, thinks, and solves problems.
• Physical Development: Includes gross motor skills (walking, crawling) and fine motor skills (grasping, drawing), as well as vision and hearing.
• Communication Development: How a child understands language (receptive) and uses language (expressive).
• Social/Emotional Development: How a child interacts with others and manages their emotions.
• Adaptive Development: Self-help skills like eating, dressing, and toileting.

2. Diagnosed Physical or Mental Condition

A child automatically qualifies if they have a medically diagnosed physical or mental condition that typically results in a high probability of developmental delay. Examples include:

• Down Syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities.
• Cerebral Palsy.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Hearing or visual impairments.
• Neural tube defects (e.g., Spina Bifida).
• Severe Torticollis (tightness in the neck muscles).

3. At Risk of Substantial Delay

In some cases, children may qualify if they are deemed “at risk” of substantial developmental delay based on family or medical history, though this category requires specific documentation and professional judgment regarding biological or environmental risk factors.

The Importance of Early Identification
Waiting to “see if they grow out of it” is a common piece of advice from well-meaning friends, but in the world of development, time is precious. If you have a gut feeling that something is amiss, pursuing an evaluation is the best course of action. It is better to have an evaluation and find out your child is on track than to wait and miss a critical window for support.

How to Get Started with Early Intervention

Taking that first step can be daunting, but the process is structured to guide you from inquiry to service delivery. Here is a step-by-step guide to accessing EI in Illinois.

Step 1: Referral

Anyone can make a referral to Early Intervention—parents, doctors, daycare providers, or family members. You do not need a doctor’s referral to start the process, though having your pediatrician’s support is helpful.

To start, you need to contact your local Child and Family Connections (CFC) office. These are the regional intake agencies for the Illinois EI program.

• Find Your Local Office: You can locate your specific CFC office by using the IDHS Office Locator online or by calling the IDHS Helpline at 1-800-843-6154.
• Make the Call: When you call, simply say, “I am concerned about my child’s development and would like to request an Early Intervention evaluation.”

Step 2: Intake and Service Coordinator

Once you make the referral, you will be assigned a Service Coordinator. This person is your primary guide. They are not a therapist, but a case manager who will:

• Explain your rights and the EI process.
• Schedule evaluations.
• Help write your individualized plan.
• Connect you with providers.

Your Service Coordinator is your partner. Be open with them about your concerns, your schedule, and your family’s needs.

Step 3: Evaluation

Your Service Coordinator will arrange for evaluations with qualified professionals (like speech therapists or physical therapists) at no cost to you. These evaluations typically take place in your home or a familiar setting to see how your child functions in their natural environment.

The evaluators will use standardized tools to measure your child’s skills against the eligibility criteria mentioned earlier. They will also look at your child’s medical history and listen to your observations.

Step 4: The IFSP Meeting

If the evaluations show your child is eligible, the team (including you, the Service Coordinator, and the evaluators) will meet to create an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This is a legal document that outlines:

• Your child’s current levels of development.
• The specific outcomes (goals) you want to achieve for your child and family.
• The specific services (frequency, intensity, and method) needed to meet those outcomes.
• Where services will be provided.

Step 5: Beginning Services

Once the IFSP is signed, your Service Coordinator will help you find providers who have availability and expertise in your area. This is where you can request specific agencies, such as Eyas Landing, if they serve your region.

Who Qualifies for Early Intervention?

Navigating eligibility can feel like deciphering a new language, but the criteria in Illinois are specific. Not every child who seems “behind” will qualify, but the threshold aims to catch those who need support the most.

To qualify for services in Illinois, a child must be under the age of three and meet one of the following criteria:

1. Developmental Delay

A child is considered to have a developmental delay if they are evaluated and found to have a 30% delay or greater in one or more of the following five areas of development:

• Cognitive Development: How a child learns, thinks, and solves problems.
• Physical Development: Includes gross motor skills (walking, crawling) and fine motor skills (grasping, drawing), as well as vision and hearing.
• Communication Development: How a child understands language (receptive) and uses language (expressive).
• Social/Emotional Development: How a child interacts with others and manages their emotions.
• Adaptive Development: Self-help skills like eating, dressing, and toileting.

2. Diagnosed Physical or Mental Condition

A child automatically qualifies if they have a medically diagnosed physical or mental condition that typically results in a high probability of developmental delay. Examples include:

• Down Syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities.
• Cerebral Palsy.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Hearing or visual impairments.
• Neural tube defects (e.g., Spina Bifida).
• Severe Torticollis (tightness in the neck muscles).

3. At Risk of Substantial Delay

In some cases, children may qualify if they are deemed “at risk” of substantial developmental delay based on family or medical history, though this category requires specific documentation and professional judgment regarding biological or environmental risk factors.

The Importance of Early Identification
Waiting to “see if they grow out of it” is a common piece of advice from well-meaning friends, but in the world of development, time is precious. If you have a gut feeling that something is amiss, pursuing an evaluation is the best course of action. It is better to have an evaluation and find out your child is on track than to wait and miss a critical window for support.

How to Get Started with Early Intervention

Taking that first step can be daunting, but the process is structured to guide you from inquiry to service delivery. Here is a step-by-step guide to accessing EI in Illinois.

Step 1: Referral

Anyone can make a referral to Early Intervention—parents, doctors, daycare providers, or family members. You do not need a doctor’s referral to start the process, though having your pediatrician’s support is helpful.

To start, you need to contact your local Child and Family Connections (CFC) office. These are the regional intake agencies for the Illinois EI program.

• Find Your Local Office: You can locate your specific CFC office by using the IDHS Office Locator online or by calling the IDHS Helpline at 1-800-843-6154.
• Make the Call: When you call, simply say, “I am concerned about my child’s development and would like to request an Early Intervention evaluation.”

Step 2: Intake and Service Coordinator

Once you make the referral, you will be assigned a Service Coordinator. This person is your primary guide. They are not a therapist, but a case manager who will:

• Explain your rights and the EI process.
• Schedule evaluations.
• Help write your individualized plan.
• Connect you with providers.

Your Service Coordinator is your partner. Be open with them about your concerns, your schedule, and your family’s needs.

Step 3: Evaluation

Your Service Coordinator will arrange for evaluations with qualified professionals (like speech therapists or physical therapists) at no cost to you. These evaluations typically take place in your home or a familiar setting to see how your child functions in their natural environment.

The evaluators will use standardized tools to measure your child’s skills against the eligibility criteria mentioned earlier. They will also look at your child’s medical history and listen to your observations.

Step 4: The IFSP Meeting

If the evaluations show your child is eligible, the team (including you, the Service Coordinator, and the evaluators) will meet to create an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This is a legal document that outlines:

• Your child’s current levels of development.
• The specific outcomes (goals) you want to achieve for your child and family.
• The specific services (frequency, intensity, and method) needed to meet those outcomes.
• Where services will be provided.

Step 5: Beginning Services

Once the IFSP is signed, your Service Coordinator will help you find providers who have availability and expertise in your area. This is where you can request specific agencies, such as Eyas Landing, if they serve your region.

Services Offered Through Early Intervention

The Early Intervention program covers a wide spectrum of therapies designed to address the whole child. Your IFSP will dictate which specific services your child receives based on their unique needs.

Speech-Language Therapy Early Intervention Services

This is one of the most common EI services. It addresses delays in communication.

• Expressive Language: Helping a child use words, gestures, or signs to communicate wants and needs.
• Receptive Language: Helping a child understand instructions and names of objects.
• Feeding and Swallowing: Speech therapists also work with infants who have difficulty nursing, bottle-feeding, or transitioning to solid foods (dysphagia).

Physical Therapy (PT) Early Intervention Services

PT focuses on gross motor skills—the large muscle movements needed for mobility. Therapists help children with:

• Rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking.
• Balance and coordination.
• Muscle strength and tone (addressing high or low tone).
• Using adaptive equipment (like walkers or orthotics) if necessary.

Occupational Therapy (OT) Early Intervention Services

OT helps children participate in the “jobs” of childhood: playing and self-care. It focuses on:

• Fine Motor Skills: Grasping toys, using a spoon, stacking blocks.
• Sensory Processing: Helping children who are over-sensitive or under-sensitive to touch, sound, or movement regulate their bodies.
• Self-Help Skills: Feeding, dressing, and sleeping routines.

Developmental Therapy (DT) Early Intervention Services

Developmental therapists are unique to the EI system. They look at the “big picture” of a child’s development. They design learning environments and activities that promote skills across all domains—cognitive, social, and functional. They are experts in cognitive development and play-based learning strategies.

Social Work and Psychological Services Early Intervention Services

Developmental delays can be stressful for the entire family. EI offers social work services to:

• Provide counseling and emotional support to parents.
• Help families access community resources.
• Address behavioral challenges and social-emotional development in the child.

Nutrition Early Intervention Services

Dietitians can help families manage feeding challenges, allergies, or growth concerns, ensuring the child is receiving adequate nutrition for brain and body development.

Where Are Early Intervention Services Provided?

One of the defining features of Early Intervention is the emphasis on Natural Environments. This legal mandate ensures that services are provided in settings where the child lives, learns, and plays. It is a shift away from clinical, medical-model therapy for this age group.

In-Home Therapy

The majority of EI services occur in the family home. This is often the most comfortable place for a young child.

Benefits: Therapists can use your toys, your high chair, and your space to teach you strategies you can use every day. It eliminates travel time for parents and reduces anxiety for the child.

Daycare and Preschool Settings

If your child spends their day at a childcare center or a babysitter’s home, therapists can go there.

Benefits: This supports the child in their social environment and allows the therapist to coach the daycare teachers on how to support your child’s needs alongside their peers.

Community Settings

Therapy can happen at the park, the library, or the grocery store if the goals are related to navigating the community.

Benefits: This provides real-world practice for skills like walking on uneven terrain or managing sensory input in a busy environment.

Clinic-Based Services

While less common for EI, services can be provided in a clinic if it is determined that specific clinical equipment is necessary for the child’s progress (e.g., specialized swings for sensory integration or large gym equipment for PT) or if the home environment is not conducive to therapy. However, the goal is always to transfer those skills back to the natural environment.

Role of Eyas Landing in Early Intervention

When selecting providers for your child’s team, you have choices. Eyas Landing is a premier pediatric therapy provider in the Chicago area that partners closely with the Early Intervention system to deliver high-quality, multidisciplinary care.

Who We Are

Eyas Landing was founded on the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to soar. We are a team of highly credentialed and compassionate therapists who specialize in pediatric development. Our staff includes licensed Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Developmental Therapists, and Behavior Analysts.

Our Approach to EI

We understand that an EI diagnosis affects the whole family. When an Eyas Landing therapist walks into your home (or logs onto a Telehealth session), they bring not just clinical expertise, but a spirit of partnership.

• Collaboration: We don’t work in silos. Our therapists communicate with one another. If your child sees an OT and a Speech Therapist from Eyas Landing, those professionals are coordinating strategies to ensure consistency.
• Coaching Model: We empower you. We model strategies and then step back to let you try them, providing feedback in real-time. Our goal is for you to feel confident continuing the work when we aren’t there.
• Flexibility: We meet families where they are. Whether your child needs support with sensory processing, motor delays, or complex medical needs, our team has the specialized training to help.

Specialized Expertise

Eyas Landing stands out for its depth of expertise in complex areas such as:

• Autism & Early Identification: Our team is skilled in recognizing the early signs of autism and providing evidence-based interventions like Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) strategies and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles adapted for young children.
• Sensory Integration: We have robust experience helping children with sensory processing differences regulate their bodies to engage in learning.
• Neurodiversity-Affirming Care: We prioritize respecting the unique way your child’s brain works, focusing on functional growth and happiness rather than just compliance.

How Early Intervention Supports Families

It is easy to focus solely on the child when discussing EI, but the “F” in IFSP stands for Family. The true power of Early Intervention lies in its capacity to support the family unit.

Reducing Parental Stress

The unknown is frightening. By providing a clear evaluation and a structured plan, EI removes the guesswork. You move from worrying about “what if” to taking concrete action. Knowing you have a team of experts just a phone call away provides immense relief.

Building Competence and Confidence

Through the coaching model used by providers like Eyas Landing, parents learn to become their child’s best therapist. You learn how to turn a diaper change into a language lesson or how to use bath time to strengthen core muscles. This transforms daily drudgery into opportunities for connection and growth.

Creating a Community

EI connects you to a broader network. Your Service Coordinator can link you to parent support groups, respite care, and advocacy organizations. You realize that your family’s journey, while unique, is shared by many others.

The window of time between birth and age three is brief, but its impact lasts a lifetime. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please know that your observations are valid and your proactive approach is the greatest gift you can give your child.

Early Intervention in Illinois is a resource designed for you. It is accessible, publicly funded, and rooted in the belief that your family is the key to your child’s success. By partnering with Service Coordinators and providers like Eyas Landing, you are building a team dedicated to helping your child thrive.

Take the First Step Today

Don’t wait and worry. Action brings answers.

1. Observe your child and document your concerns.
2. Contact your local Child and Family Connections office (call 1-800-843-6154 or search online).
3. Request an evaluation.

If you are looking for a partner in this journey who values flexibility, expertise, and family-centered care, we invite you to learn more about Eyas Landing. We are here to answer your questions, support your family, and celebrate every milestone along the way.

Eyas Landing is just one part of your child’s journey! Our sister companies, Blue Bird Day and Merlin Day Academy, work together to support your child as they grow. Blue Bird Day, our therapeutic preschool and kindergarten program, is an intensive rotational therapeutic program designed to provide children ages 2-7 with the tools they need to succeed in a classroom environment. Merlin Day Academy— accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education—provides special education and multi-disciplinary therapy for children ages 6-14 with neuro-diverse learning needs.