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Early Childhood Intervention

Playing keyboardYou've confirmed your child is deaf or hard of hearing. Your child and your family can get support and an early start on education with  Early Childhood Intervention (ECI).

 
 
 
Children between Birth and three years old get support and services from early childhood intervention (ECI) providers. ECI is the lead agency for early intervention services for children with disabilities under age 3. Early intervention (EI) is a term for educational and medical services provided to children between the ages of birth to three years of age. ECI providers focus on language acquisition, communication tools, and other services to support the child’s developmental progress. 
 
ECI staff is specially trained to work with young children and their families. They will coordinate with teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, therapists, and parent specialists to bring support and resources to your family. These services are established through Part C of IDEA  and private providers are available to provide services at the family’s discretion.
 

How to Start EI Services

Once an infant or toddler’s deaf or hard of hearing status is confirmed and found to be eligible, an ECI provider or a teacher of the deaf will contact you. You can also contact ECI to start sooner. These  are also known as either “deaf education early intervention services” or “parent-infant services,” coordinated between two agencies:

 

 

When a child receives ECI services, an individualized family service plan (IFSP) will be drafted.

 

The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

The IFSP is a documented plan that guides the early intervention process for families and their children. The IFSP is developed during a meeting between the family and ECI provider to determine what services the child and family needs. A wide range of services can be included to address areas of needs.

 

Learn more about the IFSP process:

 

Frequently Asked Questions

ECI provides evaluations and assessments at no cost to families. Families and professionals work as a team to plan appropriate services based on the needs of each individual child and family. For children with hearing differences, services are provided at no cost to the family. Other services (such as speech therapy, physical or occupational therapy) can be paid through Medicaid, private insurance, or through the ECI Family Cost Share.

Feel free to reach out to our care coordination team to assist you with connecting to your local ECI program.  Another option is to use this search locator. It will take you to a page to search for your local ECI program by city, county, or zip code.

ECI works with the child and family in their natural environment, such as at home, grandma's, or a childcare center. Depending on the IFSP, your families may receive EI services at a specialized location.

It is important to know that you are not alone in this new journey you are beginning. Other parents who have children that are deaf or hard-of-hearing can help support you.  Reach out to our Care Coordination team of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

  • Education Service Center 11 provides a spreadsheet of all relevant laws and legislation for Birth to 3.

 

Depending on where you live, your area may have a day program for your infant or toddler.

 

In Austin, TX, the Parent Infant Program at TSD serves babies and toddlers between Birth - three years old. The program offers both offsite and onsite programs. The onsite program is for babies and toddlers between 18 months -  3 years old. To enroll at PIP,  parents/legal guardians can begin the process by either:

  • Requesting a referral from the LEA or home district: Parents or legal guardians can discuss with the home district ARD committee to request a referral to TSD. 

  • Requesting placement directly from TSD: A parent or legal guardian can contact TSD to request placement. TSD will then have an ARD meeting to decide if placement at TSD is appropriate.

 
Contact us to help you find one in your area.

This is a Teacher of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing (TODHH) who is trained to work with families who have children with hearing differences and are under the age of 3.  These teachers are there to coach you with how to work with your child related to their hearing differences.