Early Intervention in PA: Eligibility, Services, and Costs

Early Intervention in Pennsylvania is a free state program that provides developmental services to children from birth through age five who have delays or diagnosed conditions likely to cause delays. The program runs on two tracks: the Department of Human Services handles infants and toddlers from birth through age two, and the Department of Education handles preschool-aged children from three through five.{¹} There is no income requirement, no insurance requirement, and no need for a doctor’s referral to get started.

How to Start the Process

One phone call opens the door. The statewide CONNECT helpline at 1-800-692-7288 is the single point of entry for every family in Pennsylvania. CONNECT staff take basic information about the child and route the referral to the local program that matches the child’s age.{²} Families who prefer email can reach CONNECT at help@connectpa.net.

Anyone can make the referral. A parent, a grandparent, a pediatrician, or a daycare provider can call. You do not need a formal diagnosis, a written order, or test results in hand.

Infants and toddlers are routed to county-based programs. Preschool-aged children go through the local Intermediate Unit, a regional educational agency. Before your first meeting, it helps to gather the child’s medical records, any pediatric screening results, notes on the specific concerns you have about communication, movement, behavior, or daily routines, and insurance information if you have it. Insurance is not required; programs sometimes bill Medicaid or private insurance behind the scenes, but coverage never gates a child’s access.

Who Qualifies

Eligibility rules differ by age, but both tracks share a 25 percent delay threshold as one route in.

Birth Through Age Two

Under 55 Pa. Code § 4226.22, a child qualifies through any one of three paths. First, a developmental delay of at least 25 percent of the child’s age in one or more of these areas: cognitive, physical (including vision and hearing), communication, social or emotional, or adaptive. Second, a score of 1.5 standard deviations or more below the mean on standardized testing in any of those same areas. Third, a diagnosed physical or mental condition with a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, even if no delay has yet appeared.{³}

That third path is often the fastest. A baby diagnosed with Down syndrome or cerebral palsy at birth qualifies right away, without waiting for delays to become measurable.

Three Through Five

At age three, eligibility shifts to 22 Pa. Code Chapter 14. The 25 percent delay standard carries over, along with the 1.5 standard deviations option on standardized tests.{⁴} Children who meet the federal definition of a child with a disability under 34 CFR 300.8 also qualify. That covers autism, speech or language impairment, intellectual disability, hearing or vision loss, and other health impairments.

When Test Scores Miss What’s Obvious

Standardized tests do not always capture what a parent or therapist can see. Pennsylvania allows qualified evaluators to use “informed clinical opinion” to establish eligibility when standard tests are unavailable, inappropriate for the child’s age, or fail to reflect actual functioning. Under 55 Pa. Code § 4226.22(b), informed clinical opinion can serve as an independent basis for eligibility.{³} The same principle applies at the preschool level, and evaluators must document why a child qualifies despite not meeting the numerical threshold.{⁵}

What Happens After You Call

Once the referral goes through, a team of specialists conducts a Multidisciplinary Evaluation to determine eligibility and identify the child’s specific needs. Timelines depend on age.

Infants and Toddlers

The whole process, from referral through a completed Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), must happen within 45 days. Evaluation, eligibility determination, and the first planning meeting all fit inside that window. Exceptions apply only when the family is unavailable or has not provided consent despite documented outreach.{⁶}

If the child qualifies, the team writes an IFSP that spells out which services the child will receive, how often, where, and for how long. Services must begin within 14 days of the plan’s completion. The IFSP has to be reviewed at least every six months, and families can ask for a review sooner when circumstances change.{⁷}

Preschoolers

For children three through five, the evaluation must be completed and the report delivered to parents within 60 calendar days of the agency receiving written parental consent. A qualifying child gets an Individualized Education Program (IEP) rather than an IFSP. IEPs are reviewed at least annually, and reevaluations happen at least every two years.{⁸}

Reviews are where families push for more hours, adjust goals, or flag concerns about progress. Coming in with specific observations about what is and is not working makes those meetings more productive.

What Services Look Like

The evaluation results and the goals in the IFSP or IEP drive which services a child receives. Common ones include:

Speech and language therapy for communication and, in younger children, feeding or swallowing.
Physical therapy for gross motor skills like crawling, walking, and climbing.
Occupational therapy for fine motor skills, sensory processing, and daily routines like eating and dressing.
Specialized instruction from a developmental specialist who works directly with the child and coaches the family.
Vision and hearing services, including orientation and mobility training.
Assistive technology, meaning devices or equipment that help the child take part in daily activities.

Many children receive a combination. A child with a global delay might get speech, occupational therapy, and specialized instruction at the same time.

Where the Services Happen

For infants and toddlers, federal and state law require services in “natural environments.” That usually means the family’s home or the child’s regular childcare setting. Children learn in the routines and spaces where they already spend time.{³}

For preschoolers, the standard is the “least restrictive environment.” The IEP team starts with a typical preschool classroom alongside peers without disabilities and moves toward more specialized settings only when a child’s needs require it. Placement options include early childhood settings with nondisabled peers, special education preschool programs, home-based services, and approved private schools.{⁹}

What It Costs

Nothing. Early Intervention services are provided at no cost to families in Pennsylvania, regardless of income or insurance status.{²} Pennsylvania has not implemented a family fee system, so evaluations, therapy sessions, and service coordination are all free. Programs may ask for insurance information because they can bill Medicaid or private insurance as a funding source, but that has no effect on the child’s access to services.

Transitions at Age Three and at Kindergarten

Children move through the system in stages, and each handoff has its own rules.

Turning Three

As a child approaches their third birthday, a formal transition meeting must be held, with the family’s approval, at least 90 days before the child becomes eligible for preschool EI. It can happen as early as nine months before that date if everyone agrees. The meeting includes the family, someone from the current infant/toddler program, and someone from the preschool program, and invitations go out at least 30 days ahead unless a shorter notice is agreed to.{¹⁰}

At this point oversight shifts from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education, and the child moves from an IFSP to an IEP. Expect a new evaluation under preschool standards, though much of the existing information carries forward. The goal is no gap in services.

Entering Kindergarten

When a preschool EI child approaches kindergarten age, the IEP must include goals for the move to a school-age program.{¹¹} Parents can choose to keep the child in Early Intervention for an extra year instead of starting kindergarten on the typical schedule; if they do, the IEP has to be updated to reflect that choice.

Records transfer from the preschool program to the school district at the transition meeting, or when the child registers with the district if no meeting is held. One safeguard worth knowing: if the transition procedures are not properly followed, the child remains eligible for the special education services in their existing EI IEP when they enter kindergarten or first grade.{¹¹} A paperwork failure by the program does not strip a child of services.

Your Rights When You Disagree

Disagreements happen. A parent might disagree with an evaluation, believe their child needs more therapy hours, or feel the program is not delivering the services written into the plan. Pennsylvania provides several formal channels, all free.

Mediation. This is a voluntary process where a neutral mediator helps both sides work toward an agreement. Either party can request it any time by calling the Office for Dispute Resolution at 1-800-222-3353. Sessions must be scheduled within 10 calendar days. An agreement reached in mediation is legally binding and enforceable in court, and anything said in mediation stays confidential.{¹²}

Due process hearings. When mediation is not enough or a parent wants a binding legal decision, a due process hearing puts the case in front of an impartial hearing officer, also requested through ODR. For infants and toddlers, the hearing must be conducted and a written decision mailed within 30 calendar days of the request, with extensions available. Families get a free transcript and a copy of the decision, and either side can appeal to state or federal court.{¹²}

Formal state complaints. A complaint is the right tool when a program has violated a legal requirement, like missing an evaluation deadline, failing to provide services listed in an IFSP or IEP, or ignoring transition procedures. Complaints must be filed within one year of the alleged violation and can be submitted by mail, email, fax, or by phone at 717-346-9320. The Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports must investigate and issue a decision within 60 calendar days.{¹³}

Families also have the right to request an independent educational evaluation at public expense if they disagree with the program’s evaluation. The program has to either fund the outside evaluation or file for a due process hearing to defend its own; it cannot simply ignore the request. Knowing these options exist often changes the dynamic in a meeting where a parent feels unheard.

1
Pennsylvania Department of Education. Early Intervention
2
Department of Human Services. Early Intervention Services
3
Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 55 Pa. Code Chapter 4226 – Early Intervention Services General Provisions
4
Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 22 Pa. Code 14.101 – Definitions
5
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Eligibility for Infant/Toddler and Preschool Early Intervention
6
Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 55 Pa. Code 4226.24 – Comprehensive Child Find System
7
Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 55 Pa. Code 4226.72 – Procedures for IFSP Development, Review and Evaluation
8
Pennsylvania Code. 22 Pa. Code 14.153 – Evaluation
9
Pennsylvania Code. 22 Pa. Code 14.155 – Range of Services
10
Pennsylvania Department of Education. Transition of Toddlers to Preschool or Other Community Services
11
Pennsylvania Department of Education. Early Intervention Transition: Preschool Programs to School-Aged Programs
12
Pennsylvania Department of Education. Mediation, Due Process, and IFSP/IEP Facilitation Procedures for Infant Toddler and Preschool Early Intervention
13
Pennsylvania Department of Education. Early Intervention Complaint Procedures