What Happens If My Child Was Denied Early Intervention Services?

If your child is not eligible for early intervention services, you can still get her the help she needs.

By NYMetroParents Staff October 19, 2018

Young children who have developmental delays may be eligible for early intervention services, including speech, physical, and occupational therapies; family education, counseling, and support groups; as well as nursing, nutrition, social work, and assistive technology devices and services. But what happens if your child, who you suspect has developmental delays, is evaluated and denied early intervention services? Michelle Dell’Aquila explains what you can do.

Parents know their children. They are aware of their child’s personality, her growth, and her movements. Occasionally, though, parents may notice a lag in communication or motor skills. Child development services can help get your child back on track by analyzing him and offering a plan with activities or exercises to help him to fully develop in areas in which he may be struggling.

Perhaps your child was not approved for early intervention services. This can be discouraging, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a few things you can do to if your child was deemed ineligible. First, you can appeal the decision. If your child was deemed borderline or below the normal range, making her ineligible for early intervention services, you can appeal the decision. Keep in mind that if your child was ranked as average or above, there is a good chance you will not win an appeal.

Don’t be dissuaded if you were denied early intervention services, whether you appealed or not; there are more options available to you as a parent. There are many companies with experienced, licensed professionals who can sit with both the parents and child and discuss what the concerns are, as well as develop a plan for the child.

So where do you find them? One of the best places to look is on the Internet. First, search by your location. Local developmental services can be provided in the child’s natural environment in your home. If there are no such local services available, there are licensed educators, therapists, and professionals available all over the country, and thanks to advances in technology, their services can be used anywhere for any child. So try a search for child development services that offer remote sessions through FaceTime, Skype, or other video conferencing services.

Child development services such as these can offer lesson plans or guides, exercises, and activities for your child to complete, which can be done with the professional observing and offering guidance or as homework prior to the next session. The professional can help determine which milestones your child has met and needs to meet in order to stay on target with his development. Language guides are one of the most popular methods of assisting children. These guides will help your child learn to make the proper letter sounds with aid from you.

Do you feel your child needs assistance? Their development doesn’t have to falter. With the assistance and guidance of child development services, parents can rest assured that their child’s developmental milestones are being met.