To start services with the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), submit the Tennessee TEIS referral form online through the Department of Disability and Aging website or the MyTN app, call the statewide intake line at (800) 852-7157, fax it to (615) 401-7714, or email it to DD.TEIS_Referrals@tn.gov.1Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. Tennessee Early Intervention System TEIS is a voluntary, no-cost program for children from birth through age three whose families or providers have concerns about developmental delays or disabilities.2Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), South Central Once the referral is in, federal law gives the state 45 days to evaluate the child, decide eligibility, and hold the first planning meeting.3eCFR. 34 CFR 303.310 – Post-Referral Timeline (45 Days)
Who Can Submit a Referral
You don’t have to be the child’s parent, and you don’t need a doctor’s referral or a formal diagnosis. TEIS accepts referrals from anyone concerned about a child’s development, including family members, doctors, nurses, daycare staff, and social workers.4kidcentral tn. Tennessee’s Early Intervention System If someone other than the parent submits the form, it asks for the parent’s contact information so TEIS can reach the family directly.5Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Eligibility Information A general concern that a child isn’t meeting milestones is enough to start the process.
What to Have Ready Before You Fill It Out
Gather these details before you begin so the referral can be routed to the correct district office:5Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Eligibility Information
- The child’s full legal name and date of birth as they appear on the birth certificate.
- The child’s county of residence. TEIS uses this to assign the referral to one of nine district offices.
- A phone number, mailing address, and email address for the parent or caregiver.
- A plain-language description of your concerns. Specifics help: “she doesn’t turn her head toward sounds” tells the intake team more than “possible hearing issue.” Concrete examples might be that the child isn’t babbling by 12 months, isn’t walking by 18 months, or has lost skills they once had.
If the child already has a diagnosis that can affect development, such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or significant prematurity, note it. Tennessee keeps a list of ICD-10 codes that support automatic eligibility, so a known diagnosis can speed things up.5Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Eligibility Information
Ways to Submit the Referral
Every submission route feeds the same intake system. Pick whichever is easiest:
- Online. The TEIS Formstack referral form on the Department of Disability and Aging website walks you through each required field and routes the referral to the district office serving your county.1Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. Tennessee Early Intervention System
- MyTN app. The same form is available through the MyTN mobile app, which you can download from your device’s app store.1Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. Tennessee Early Intervention System
- Phone. Call (800) 852-7157 and an intake specialist will take the information over the phone.5Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Eligibility Information
- Fax. Send the completed referral to (615) 401-7714.5Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Eligibility Information
- Email. Send to DD.TEIS_Referrals@tn.gov. Note the underscore between “TEIS” and “Referrals.”1Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. Tennessee Early Intervention System
If you submit online, wait for the confirmation screen before closing your browser. That confirmation is your proof the state received the referral. For fax or email, save a copy of what you sent and a record of the transmission date.
Do You Need to Know Whether the Child Qualifies?
No. Submit the referral first; the free evaluation that follows is what determines eligibility. A child qualifies for TEIS in one of three ways:5Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Eligibility Information
- A diagnosed condition from the state’s approved list, such as chromosomal abnormalities, congenital infections, or significant neurological conditions.
- Meeting the TEIS prematurity thresholds.
- A documented developmental delay of 25% in two areas or 40% in one area, measured across physical development, communication, cognitive ability, social-emotional development, and adaptive or self-help skills.
What Happens After You Submit
A TEIS representative contacts the family to acknowledge the referral and assign a service coordinator, who becomes the family’s single point of contact through the whole process. The coordinator arranges evaluations, explains parental rights under Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and coordinates any services the child ends up receiving.
From the day TEIS receives the referral, a 45-day clock starts. Within that window, a team of qualified professionals evaluates the child across all five developmental areas, TEIS makes an eligibility decision, and, if the child is eligible, the team holds the first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting. The IFSP is the written plan setting out the child’s current abilities, the family’s priorities, specific goals, and the services that will be provided. Two narrow exceptions can pause the 45-day timeline: documented exceptional circumstances that make the family unavailable, or a parent who has not provided consent despite repeated requests.3eCFR. 34 CFR 303.310 – Post-Referral Timeline (45 Days) Respond to scheduling calls promptly; delays on the family side push back the whole timeline.
What Services Cost and Look Like
All TEIS services are free to families.6Tennessee Pathfinder. Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), South Central What a child receives depends on the IFSP, but the common offerings are developmental therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.7Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. TEIS Careers Federal rules require services to be delivered in “natural environments,” typically the family’s home or a community childcare setting; a clinical setting is used only when the IFSP team and parent agree the child’s goals can’t be met in a natural environment, and the reasons must be documented in the plan.8eCFR. 34 CFR 303.126 – Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments
One Boundary to Know Going In
TEIS covers children only through their third birthday. If services continue to be needed after that, they shift to the local school district under Part B of IDEA. Federal law requires the IFSP team to build a written transition plan at least 90 days, and no more than nine months, before the child’s third birthday, and the service coordinator helps arrange the transition meeting with the school district.9ECTA Center. Federal IDEA Part C and Part B Transition Requirements for Late Referrals to IDEA Part C If your child is close to age three when you’re considering a referral, submit anyway; the transition planning still applies.