Early Intervention

The Early Intervention Program provides services for eligible young children ages three through the age of beginners and is available to any qualifying child residing in one of the 25 school districts served by the Intermediate Unit. Related Services are available in the areas of nursing, speech, hearing, vision, psychological evaluations, and assistive technology.

Services are provided when the child meets the eligibility criteria of a 25% delay in one or more of the five developmental areas and demonstrates a need for specially designed instruction. The primary goal of the program is to improve a child’s developmental levels to enable him or her to access the general curriculum when they are school-aged. The staff works closely with school districts and parents to facilitate the transition-to-school process for eligible children. A language-based curriculum with developmentally appropriate activities provides a framework for learning. Children are encouraged to learn through active exploration of materials and settings. These explorations involve verbal and physical manipulations. The needs of the child determines the amount of support provided by the teacher.