Early Intervention
An Early Education Provider’s Guide to Early Intervention Services in Pennsylvania is available:
In Pennsylvania, any child between three years of age and the school district’s age of beginners who has a developmental delay or one or more of the physical or mental conditions may be identified as an “eligible young child.” Children who are less than the age of beginners and at least three years of age are considered to have a developmental delay when one of the following exists: the child’s score, on a developmental assessment device, on an assessment instrument which yields a score in months, indicates that the child is delayed by 25% of the child’s chronological age in one or more developmental areas, as documented by test performance of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on standardized tests. Developmental areas include cognitive, communicative, physical, social/emotional and self help. For more information, please contact the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 Pre-school Program.
Eligible young children are afforded the same rights under IDEA and 22 Pa. School Code §14 as school age children in order to determine if they are eligible to receive special education services through the screening and evaluation process. Once a child is determined to be eligible to receive special education, a pre-school Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed for the child with parent participation. Once the initial provisions of services are agreed to, and approved by the parent the IEP will be implemented, after ten days.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is responsible for providing programs and services to eligible young children under Act 212 of 1990, the Early Intervention System Act. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 provides early intervention services for children ages 3 to 5 if identified as developmentally delayed and/or in need of special education services. For screening and identification procedures, parents should contact the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 at (717) 624 4616. Please ask for the Pre-school Department.