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Early Childhood Intervention

Playing keyboardYou've confirmed your child is deaf or hard of hearing. Your child and your family can get support and an early start on education with  Early Childhood Intervention (ECI).

 
 
 
Children between Birth and three years old get support and services from early childhood intervention (ECI) providers. ECI is the lead agency for early intervention services for children with disabilities under age 3. Early intervention (EI) is a term for educational and medical services provided to children between the ages of birth to three years of age. ECI providers focus on language acquisition, communication tools, and other services to support the child’s developmental progress. 
 
ECI staff is specially trained to work with young children and their families. They will coordinate with teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, therapists, and parent specialists to bring support and resources to your family. These services are established through Part C of IDEA  and private providers are available to provide services at the family’s discretion.
 

How to Start EI Services

Once an infant or toddler’s deaf or hard of hearing status is confirmed and found to be eligible, an ECI provider or a teacher of the deaf will contact you. You can also contact ECI to start sooner. These  are also known as either “deaf education early intervention services” or “parent-infant services,” coordinated between two agencies:

 

 

When a child receives ECI services, an individualized family service plan (IFSP) will be drafted.

 

The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

The IFSP is a documented plan that guides the early intervention process for families and their children. The IFSP is developed during a meeting between the family and ECI provider to determine what services the child and family needs. A wide range of services can be included to address areas of needs.

 

Learn more about the IFSP process:

 

Frequently Asked Questions