Determining a Child's Eligibility for Early Intervention Services Remotely

Part C IDEA regulations define "evaluation" as "the procedures used by qualified personnel to determine a child's initial and continuing eligibility..." and "assessment" as "ongoing procedures used by qualified personnel to identify the child's unique strengths and needs and the early intervention services appropriate to meet those needs..." As a result of COVID-19, many states are having to determine a child's eligibility for Part C services remotely using a variety of approaches such as teleconference, videoconference, and sharing information and video synchronously and asynchronously. Therefore, effective state policies, procedures, and practices are important to appropriately identify children eligible for Part C services. This document provides guidance, considerations, and resources for state staff and local practitioners who are determining Part C eligibility remotely. It first presents associated tool table resources, and then the content is organized across five main sections. Each section includes considerations in the form of questions and suggestions: (1) Consider System and State Policies; (2) Plan for Remote Eligibility Determination; (3) Collect Data Remotely; and (4) Analyze and Take Action. A list of resources is also included.