Early Intervention

The Local Early Intervention Coordinating Council Meeting will be held on September 25, 2024, from 9:15am – 11:15am at the Nassau County Department of Health- 60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Uniondale

Early Intervention

Early Intervention (EI) is a voluntary developmental evaluation and services program offered by New York State and administered locally by the Nassau County Department of Health Office for Children with Special Needs. The County Early Intervention Program is subject to State regulations (see New York State’s publication “A Parent’s Guide to the Early Intervention Program” for more information).

To be eligible for EI services, children must be under 3 years of age and have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay, as defined by New York State, in one or more of the following areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional, and/or adaptive. Evaluations are conducted to determine eligibility. A variety of therapeutic and support services are offered to eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

The journey of your child’s early years includes many developmental milestones for how he or she plays, learns, speaks, and acts. Click here Headline to learn what to look for in your child. Talk with your child’s doctor about these milestones. Not reaching these milestones, or reaching them much later than other children, could be a sign of a developmental delay.

For more information call 516-227-8661

Major provisions of the program include:

• Identification and referral of children at risk or suspected of disability by primary referral sources
• Periodic developmental screening and tracking of at risk children
• Service coordination for eligible children and families
• A multidisciplinary evaluation provided at no cost to parents to determine eligibility
• Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) for eligible children and families
• Provision of early intervention services in the IFSP at no cost to parents
• Delivery of services in natural settings in the community where children of the same age are typically found, to the maximum extent appropriate

Baby Steps: Learn the Signs. Act Early.

Early recognition of developmental disabilities such as autism is key for parents and providers. CDC realized the impact on families and invested in a campaign to help parents measure their children’s progress by monitoring how they play, learn, speak and act.
Take a few minutes to watch this video which describes how to recognize developmental milestones.

The Early Intervention Process

Referral Procedure

Parents of children birth through age two years, nine months, or anyone else with parent consent, can make a referral to the Nassau County Early Intervention Program (EI) by:

Phone 516-227-8661
 or
Fax   516-227-8662

Unless a parent objects, professionals such as doctors and service providers must refer a child to EI if there is a suspected delay in a child’s development, or there is a confirmed diagnosis that would allow the child to be automatically eligible. The EI clerk accepting the referral will ask for basic demographic information to assist the service coordinator in meeting with the parent to explain the program in detail.  All information is kept confidential.

Additional Resources

Help Me Grow

Help Me Grow – Long Island (HMG-LI) is a FREE resource connecting families and providers to community resources and child development information in Nassau and Suffolk counties, with the mission of promoting optimal development of Long Island’s young children. HMG-LI provides screening tools that parents can use themselves to track their child’s development. This can make it easier for you to celebrate your child’s growth and talk with your child’s health care provider about his or her progress at every office visit.

Provider Resources

Attention Therapists and Agencies: Interested in providing Early Intervention services to Children from ages Zero to Three Years Old? New York State Department of Health Bureau of Early Intervention (BEI) is always looking to contract with providers to service our Zero to Three Year Old children in Nassau County. If you are interested in providing services to this population, please click here.