Early Intervention (EI)
Early Intervention (EI) is a program for children under three years of age who have or are suspected of having a developmental delay and/or disability, and their families.
Early Intervention
"Both of my children have received home-based and center-based services from VCLC's EI program. Not only have we had wonderful speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy and special education services, but we had complete wraparound support from the entire school. Having a child with special needs can feel very isolating. At VCLC, you never feel alone."......Mandy Breslow, A Parent
Early Intervention (EI) is a program for children under three years of age who have or are suspected of having a developmental delay and/or disability, and their families. It is funded and regulated by the New York State Department of Health (DOH). Variety Child Learning Center (VCLC) is state approved and under contract with both the Nassau and Suffolk Counties' Departments of Health to provide EI evaluations and services. These are provided at no out-of-pocket cost to parents. Funding is provided by New York State and Nassau County. Health insurance may be accessed.
VCLC has offered a full range of services for infants and toddlers, and their families, since 1966. Our mission has always been to "start early." VCLC's family-focused EI program is based on the concept that early intervention with parental involvement can make a lasting impact on a child's later development that is not possible if services are delayed. Parents know their child best, and the best results can be achieved when home and program staff work together. VCLC's EI professional staff is licensed, experienced and well supervised.
Your child's EI program begins with the evaluation process to determine eligibility for services. Only evaluations completed by a state approved evaluator under contract with the municipality can be used to determine eligibility for the Early Intervention Program. VCLC is a state approved evaluation site under contract with both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The results of the evaluations determine your child’s eligibility for services. Typically, evaluations are done at your home, where you and your child are most comfortable. However, they may be completed at VCLC or another site upon parent request. VCLC works collaboratively with DOH throughout this process. If your child is found eligible, your county DOH authorizes services for your child and arranges for service providers. If EI services are provided in a community setting such as a child care center, families are responsible for any fees charged by the community program.
VCLC's comprehensive Early Intervention Program includes the following services that can be provided at home or at our Center:
* Speech Therapy
* Special Education
* Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
* Occupational Therapy
* Physical Therapy
* Feeding Therapy
* Parent Training/Behavior Management
* Social Work Services
* Psychological Services
* On-going Service Coordination
In addition, VCLC provides the following center-based services:
* Developmental Group Classes - 2 1/2 hours, 5 days
* Parent/Child Groups
* Parent Support Groups
If you are concerned about your child's development and want to arrange for an evaluation, call your County's Early Intervention Referral Line:
Nassau County - (516) 227-8661
Suffolk County - (631) 853-3100
If you have any questions about VCLC's program or would like help making the referral, please call Judi Zipkin, Supervisor of Early Intervention at (516) 921-7171 or 714-0107, ext. 2105 or email her at jzipkin@vclc.org.
Fax # for the Early Intervention Department: 516-496-4958
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