NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee is expanding the services available for young children with disabilities to those who are an additional year old.
According to a release, the federal government approved the state to start offering eligible families the choice to continue receiving services from the Tennessee Early Intervention System until the start of the school year following their child's fifth birthday. It's the full age range allowed for early intervention services in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
TEIS is voluntary and offers therapy, as well as other services, to infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities. It's free to families and in the fiscal year 2023, it provided services to around 17,990 children.
Families, doctors or anyone else concerned about a child's development can contact TEIS with questions, or to make a referral. By getting early intervention, children can become more social and independent, ready to start school with fewer special education supports.
Developmental delays can include motor delays where children show difficulty crawling or walking, communication delays where children have difficulty indicating needs, cognitive delays where children have difficulty making choices and problem-solving, social delays or adaptive delays.