There are comprehensive programs throughout Connecticut that have been approved by the Birth to Three System to complete eligibility evaluations, and provide services and supports for families. Every Birth to Three program offers:

• evaluation in the home by trained professionals
• services provided where the child normally spends his day, such as his home, a child care setting, or local playgroup
• flexible scheduling of visits
• services that focus on helping the family to help their child within the family’s daily life, culture, values, and priorities
• information in their native language unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. If a parent is deaf or blind, the mode of communication will be that which is normally used, such as Braille, sign language, or oral communication.
• a variety of trained staff who can help the family work on goals related to their child’s needs and their family’s priorities. All people working in Birth to Three programs meet personnel standards and are either a licensed or certified professional, or are supervised by a professional.
• service coordination to help bring together the different people, information and resources that will support the child and family. Others who will work with the family and offer support may include an early childhood teacher, physical therapist, speech pathologist, the child’s doctor, or other professionals.

Each program serves a specific set of towns, and can be selected by any family living in one of those towns. There are three programs that specialize in working with families whose children are deaf or hard of hearing: The American School for the Deaf, CREC-Soundbridge and NECHEAR. These three programs work with families from any Connecticut town.

One child may develop a skill at a different time or in a different way than another child of the same age. This does not necessarily mean that one child is "slow" or the other child is "advanced".

If you have concerns about an infant or toddler’s talking, feeding, walking, handling toys, seeing, hearing or playing alone or with others, you can call the Child Development Infoline (CDI) at 1-800-505-7000 to discuss your concerns.  You may also use the Referral Form on the Birth to Three website.  The child development experts at CDI will help callers with their concerns, and make sure that infants and toddlers who may be significantly delayed are given appropriate, comprehensive services as early as possible.

Eligibility Requirements

Children under the age of three who live in Connecticut are eligible for the Birth to Three System when they either:

• are experiencing a significant developmental delay, or
• have a diagnosed physical or mental condition with a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay (diagnosed conditions list).

Connecticut’s Birth to Three System does not serve infants and toddlers who are at risk of delay due to environmental causes. Children who are evaluated and found not to be eligible are offered participation in a monitoring program upon parental consent, and are referred to other community programs.

What is a "Significant Developmental Delay"?

The professional assessment team that meets with the family and young child may use one or more normed and standardized instruments to evaluate the child’s strengths and needs. Specific areas of development that are evaluated include:

• cognitive development
• physical development, including vision, hearing, motor and health
• communication development
• social or emotional development
• adaptive skills development (known as self-help or daily living skills)

Eligibility is limited to those children under age three who show a developmental delay of two standard deviations below the mean in one area of development, or one and one-half standard deviations below the mean in two areas of development.