Is my child eligible for Regional Center early intervention services?

Under California law, children are eligible for early intervention services if they:

1) “have a developmental delay of at least 25% in one or more areas of cognitive, expressive or receptive communication, social or emotional, adaptive, or physical and motor development including vision and hearing;” or

2) “have an established risk condition of known etiology, with a high probability of resulting in delayed development” (e.g. a diagnosis of Down Syndrome or other chromosomal difference); or

3) are “considered at high risk of having a substantial developmental disability due to a combination of biomedical risk factors of which are diagnosed by qualified personnel.” Some conditions that might put children at high risk of delay include prematurity, low birth weight, prolonged assisted ventilation in infancy, known prenatal exposure to certain substances, infantile seizures, and others.

Some conditions that might put children at high risk of delay include prematurity, low birth weight, prolonged assisted ventilation in infancy, known prenatal exposure to certain substances, infantile seizures, and others.

For more information about what to expect from Regional Center services, check out our article Regional Center Eligibility and Services: Early Intervention (0–36 months).