What is ECI?
ECI is a statewide program for families with children, birth to three,
with disabilities and developmental delays. ECI supports families to
help their children reach their potential through developmental
services. Services are provided by a variety of local agencies and
organizations across Texas. Hill Country provides ECI services for the
following counties: Bandera, Blanco, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall,
Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, and Uvalde.
State and
federally funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA, P.L. 108-446), ECI provides evaluations and assessments, at
no cost to families, to determine eligibility and need for services.
Families and professionals work as a team to plan appropriate services
based on the unique needs of the child and family. ECI asks families
who can afford to do so, to share in the cost of services. The amount a
family pays for ECI services is determined using a sliding fee scale
and is based on family size and income after allowable deductions. No
child and family will be turned away because of an inability to pay.
ECI goes to
families and focuses on working with the child and family in their
natural environment, such as at home, grandma's, or a child care
center. Essentially, it's where children live, learn and play.
Research
shows that growth and development are most rapid in the early years of
life. The earlier problems are identified, the greater the chance of
eliminating them. Early intervention responds to the critical needs of
children and families by:
- promoting
development and learning,
- providing
support to families,
- coordinating
services, and
- decreasing
the need for costly special programs.
ECI
Services
ECI provides
evaluations, at no cost to families, to determine eligibility and the
need for services. Families and professionals work together as a team
to plan appropriate services based on the unique strengths and needs of
the child and family. Services are provided in the home and in
community settings such as child care facilities, play groups and
Mothers' Day Out programs.
Services
can include:
- Assistive
Technology: Services & Devices
- Audiology
- Developmental
Services
- Early
Identification, Screening & Assessment
- Family
Counseling
- Family
Education
- Medical
Services
(diagnostic or evaluation services used to determine eligibility)
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- Nursing
Services
- Nutrition
Services
- Occupational
Therapy
- Physical
Therapy
- Psychological
Services
- Service
Coordination
- Social
Work Services
- Speech-Language
Therapy
- Vision
Services
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How
much do services cost?
The following
services are provided at no cost regardless of income:
- Evaluation/assessment
- Development
of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)
- Service
coordination
- Translation
and interpretation services, if needed
- Services
for children with auditory and visual impairments who are eligible for
services from ECI and local school districts
- Services
for children in foster care or in conservatorship of the state
Families with
children enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, or whose income is below 200% of
the Federal Poverty Level, do not pay for any ECI services. Other
families pay a cost share determined by a sliding fee scale based on
family size and net income after allowable deductions.
What
if a child is age 3 or older?
Services are
available for children and young adults with a disability, ages 3
through 21, through your local school district. A referral for
assessment may be made by contacting the director of special education
for your local school district. The telephone number can be found in
the white pages of the phone book.
Determining
Eligibility
Income is not
a factor in determining eligibility. ECI determines eligibility for
children under age 3 based on:
Developmental
delay
Children who
are delayed in one or more of the following areas of development:
- Cognitive:
difficulty with playing, learning and thinking
- Motor:
gross, fine and oral
- Communication:
limited understanding or responses in communicating with others
- Social-emotional:
attachment problems, limited parent/family interactions or behavior
concerns
- Self-help
skills: feeding
Atypical
development
Children who
may perform within their appropriate age range on test instruments, but
whose patterns of development are different from their peers.
- Atypical
sensory-motor development: muscle tone, reflex or postural reaction
responses, oral-motor skills and sensory integration
- Atypical
language or cognition: state regulation, attention span, perseveration,
information processing
- Atypical
emotional or social patterns: social responsiveness, affective
development, attachment patterns, and self-targeted behaviors
Medically
diagnosed condition
Children who
have a medically diagnosed condition with a high probability of
developmental delay are automatically eligible for ECI services.
Children with auditory and/or vision concerns should be referred for
eligibility determination.
For more
information and resources, please visit the following link:
http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis/
or
contact
the DARS Division for Early Childhood Intervention Services through the
DARS Inquiries Line:
Phone: 1-800-628-5115 TDD Line:
1-866-581-9328
An Affiliate of Texas Early Childhood Intervention
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