Child development

Early Intervention Services: How to Get Started

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Early intervention is a free, federally funded birth-to-three program offering speech, occupational, developmental, and other therapies, often delivered in your home or child care. You can usually self-refer by calling your state program directly; no diagnosis or doctor's referral is required to request an evaluation, which is provided at no cost.

Last updated: July 2026History

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What early intervention is

Early intervention serves children under three who have delays in speaking, moving, learning, playing, or interacting, or who have a diagnosed condition with a high probability of delay. Services are tailored to the child and family and written into an Individualized Family Service Plan. Because the signs of autism and other developmental conditions usually emerge in the first two years of life, this window is when support can do the most good 1.

Why starting early matters

Developmental concerns identified early can be acted on early. An autism diagnosis made in the general population is increasingly stable across the second year of life, with research supporting accurate identification before 18 months, which means waiting is rarely necessary to begin support 2. Among early autism therapies, naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions show the most consistent positive effects, and these are exactly the kinds of approaches early-intervention programs often use 3. The aim is not to 'fix' a child but to build communication, play, and daily-living skills during a period of rapid brain growth.

Who qualifies

Each state sets its eligibility threshold, usually a measured delay in one or more areas or an established condition. A formal autism diagnosis is not required to be evaluated, and the evaluation itself is free. If your child does not qualify for therapy, the program can still point you to community resources and re-evaluate later if concerns continue.

How to get started, step by step

First, write down your specific concerns; the CDC's free milestone checklists make this easy and concrete 4. Second, find your state's early-intervention program (a web search for your state plus 'early intervention,' or ask your pediatrician). Third, call and request an evaluation; you can self-refer in most states. Fourth, if your child qualifies, you and the team write the service plan together. Your pediatrician can also place a referral, since the AAP recommends acting early when surveillance or screening raises concern 5.

How does a pediatrician help with early intervention?

Your pediatrician is a valuable partner before and during early intervention. They use validated screening tools at well-child visits and can place a formal referral, ruling out hearing loss or other medical causes that can look like a developmental delay so the right services are matched 5. A developmental specialist can confirm whether autism is present using structured assessment, which guides the service plan and helps you access additional supports. Because evidence-based approaches such as naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions work best, a clinician helps steer the plan toward methods with real support 3. They can also coordinate care across therapists and, later, the transition to school-based services.

Common questions

Evaluation is free in every state. Ongoing services are free or low-cost depending on your state and family income; programs cannot deny needed services because a family cannot pay.

It is not too late to start now, and the team will help you transition to school-district services (an IEP) around the third birthday so support continues without a gap.

Usually no. Most states accept parent self-referrals, so you can call your local early-intervention program directly and ask for an evaluation. A pediatrician's referral isn't required, but it can speed things along and add helpful clinical detail about your concerns.

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Act early on these

  • —Loss of speech, babbling, or social skills the child previously had
  • —No babbling or gestures (pointing, waving) by 12 months
  • —No words by 16 months or no two-word phrases by 24 months
  • —Not responding to their name by 12 months

This is general educational information about early-intervention programs, not a clinical evaluation; contact your state program and your child's pediatrician for individualized guidance.

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References

  1. 1.National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2024). Autism Spectrum Disorder. NIMH (nimh.nih.gov). link ✓Signs of autism and developmental conditions usually appear in the first two years of life.
  2. 2.Pierce K, Gazestani VH, Bacon E, et al. (2019). Evaluation of the Diagnostic Stability of the Early Autism Spectrum Disorder Phenotype in the General Population Starting at 12 Months. JAMA Pediatrics. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0624 ✓An ASD diagnosis is increasingly stable across the second year of life, supporting accurate identification before 18 months.
  3. 3.Sandbank M, Bottema-Beutel K, Crowley S, et al. (2020). Project AIM: Autism Intervention Meta-Analysis for Studies of Young Children. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/bul0000215 ✓Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions show the most consistent positive effects among early autism interventions.
  4. 4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2024). CDC's Developmental Milestones — Learn the Signs. Act Early.. CDC (cdc.gov). link ✓The CDC provides free parent-facing milestone checklists to help document concerns.
  5. 5.Lipkin PH, Macias MM; AAP Council on Children with Disabilities, Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (2020). Promoting Optimal Development: Identifying Infants and Young Children With Developmental Disorders Through Developmental Surveillance and Screening. Pediatrics. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-3449 ✓AAP recommends developmental surveillance at every well-child visit plus standardized screening, and acting early when concerns arise.

5 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — every citation independently verified. Editorial policy

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