Section 90. Eligibility determination process

A. Eligibility determination shall be conducted by a multidisciplinary team of certified early intervention professionals, which may include one individual who is certified as an early intervention practitioner in more than one discipline or profession, and shall include the use of informed clinical opinion.

B. Eligibility determination shall be conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner and with procedures selected that are not racially, culturally, or linguistically discriminatory.

C. Eligibility determination shall be conducted in the native language of the parent or other mode of communication used by the parent unless the early intervention service providers conducting the evaluation of the child determine that the language normally used by the child is developmentally appropriate for the child.

D. No single procedure shall be used as the sole criterion for determining a child's eligibility.

E. Eligibility determination shall include:

1. Use of an evaluation instrument;

2. Taking the child's history, including interviewing the parent;

3. Identifying the child's level of functioning in cognitive, physical, communication, social or emotional, and adaptive development;

4. Gathering information from other sources such as family members, other caregivers, medical providers, social workers, and educators, if necessary, to understand the full scope of the child's unique strengths and needs; and

5. Reviewing medical, educational, or other records.

F. Informed clinical opinion may be used as an independent basis to establish a child's eligibility even when other instruments do not establish eligibility; however, in no event may informed clinical opinion be used to negate the results of instruments used to establish eligibility.

G. The eligibility determination date, methods, participants, and results shall be documented on the eligibility determination form.

H. The service coordinator shall provide the family with a copy and explanation of the eligibility determination form as soon as possible following eligibility determination at no cost to the family.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 27, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§ 2.2-5304 of the Code of Virginia.