Office of Mental Health / Mental Retardation

Early Intervention for Professionals

The Pennsylvania Early Intervention System has been developed to promote the best possible outcomes for children and their families. In order to take advantage of supports and services available families need to know about the system and how to access these resources. Please help inform families of their options!

Who should be referred?

  • Infants and toddlers with a 25% or greater delay in one or more developments areas
  • Infants and toddlers with atypical development as seen by abnormal/ questionable sensory-motor responses or affective disorders
  • Infants and toddlers with a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay – e.g., hearing or vision impairment, Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities, central nervous system disorders, failure to thrive, etc.

What prompts a referral?

  • You or the parent/ caregiver have concerns or suspicion about the child's development, either thorough observation or conducting a developmental screening.

How are referrals made?

  • Contact the Centre County Base Service Unit at 814-355-6786. You may make the referral for the family (with parent consent) or provide contact information to the family. Referrals should be made within two days of identifying a child as potentially eligible.

What information needed at referral?

  • Child's name and date of birth
  • Name, address and telephone number of the parent or legal guardian
  • Reason for referral

What should be discussed with the family?

  • A detailed evaluation and assessment of the child's development will be conducted at NO COST to the family.
  • The family is not obligated to accept services.
  • If the child and family are found eligible, the family will assist in the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) that identifies the services and supports needed to support the child's development.

Taken from the Infant & Toddler Connection of VA, http://www.earlyintervention-va.com/. Adapted from 'Primary Referral Source Guide to Early Intervention Program Referrals', New York State Dept. of Health, for 'Making Early Intervention Connections: Physicians, Families, and Other Providers', a project of the Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities (VIDD) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).