Program eligibility

Developmental Delay means a delay in one or more of the following areas of childhood development as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and standard procedures. Areas of assessment include:

• Cognitive development
• Physical development, including vision and hearing
• Communication development
• Social and/or emotional development
• Adaptive development, including eating skills, dressing and toileting skills and other areas of personal responsibility

A diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay:

• Chromosomal abnormalities
• Genetic or congenital disorders
• Sensory impairments
• Inborn errors of metabolism
• Disorders reflecting disturbance of the development of the nervous system
• Congenital infections
• Severe attachment disorders
• Disorders secondary to exposure to toxic substances, including fetal alcohol syndrome
• Low birth weight of less than or equal to 1500 g

First Steps Eligibility Criteria:

Families who are eligible to participate in the Indiana First Steps System have children under the age of three (3) who:

• Are experiencing developmental delays (25% or -2 standard deviations from the mean in one or more developmental domains) or
• Are experiencing developmental delays (20% or -1.5 standard deviations from the mean in two or more developmental domains) or
• Have a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay. A child with a diagnosis may be eligible and not currently in need of services; in that case, the family will receive information on their rights, the child’s current developmental level, community supports/services, and how to contact the system should they have further concerns or the child’s status changes.

Eligibility is determined by a multidisciplinary team using multiple sources of information and must be re-determined annually during a face-to-face meeting with the child and the family.