Early Childhood Intervention Program for Nevada Medicaid

The purpose of the early childhood intervention program for Nevada Medicaid is to provide support and services for infant and children who are at risk for or already have developmental delays. The early childhood intervention program, available at no cost to parents, offers a wide range of health services to infants and children. The program tries to provide positive outcomes for children and families as a result of being involved with the early intervention program.

What is Early Intervention?

• The early childhood intervention program promotes growth and development for infants and children with developmental delays. Early intervention takes place within the first three years of a child's life. It is not uncommon for early intervention to begin even before birth if it has been determined by medical professionals that the infant will have developmental delays. Aside from offering health services to infants and children, the early childhood intervention program also offers support to the families of children during this time.

Eligibility and Services Offered

• To be eligible for the program, a child must exhibit at least a 50 percent delay in one area development for her age group or a 25 percent delay in two areas of development for her age group. Areas of development include physical, cognitive, social and communication. Services offered to children and families vary based on each child's specific needs. The individualized family service plan (IFSP) determines the needs of the child and family. Services offered include nutrition counseling for children who require a special diet, social work services, psychological visits and occupational therapy. All services provided by the early childhood intervention program are of no cost to the family. If a family has private insurance, the program will seek permission to bill the insurance company to assist in payment of services, but if parents fail to consent, services still will be available to the child at no cost, according to the program's "Parent Handbook."

Importance of Children

• Developmentally delayed infants and children are the focus of the early intervention program. To provide the best care available the program understands that each child is a unique individual who will grow and develop at his own rate. To encourage growth and development, the program works to strengthen the bond between families and communities to ensure that the child receives the best treatment plan available. The goal of the early intervention program to make sure that children with disabilities grow up to be independent and confident adults.

Importance of Family

• Service providers working with the early intervention program acknowledge that family involvement is important when working with infants and children. When creating an individualized family service plan, the service provider working with the child incorporates the family's diversity, values, and priorities. Families participating in the early intervention program work alongside service providers when deciding on what treatment and service is best for the child. Service providers strive to maintain open communication, trust and respect with all family members.

Outcomes of Early Intervention

• The earlier in life that an infant or child with developmental disabilities begins receiving treatment, the greater the chances that the child will go farther in life than without treatment. Children and families participating in the early intervention program may see improvements in the child's development and education and experience reduced feelings of stress and isolation that can be created when a child has a developmental delay. The early intervention program also may help reduce the risk of future costs of health care and rehabilitation.