Birth Injury Answers

Early intervention finder

The short answer

Choose your state and your child's age. This gives you the referral route and the words to use.

You can refer your own child. You do not need a doctor's referral and you do not need a diagnosis. The evaluation is free. 1

The numbers, up front

Who can refer
A parent can refer their own child directly. No doctor referral and no diagnosis is required 1
Cost
Evaluation and assessment under Part C are at no cost to families 1
The timeline
The evaluation and, if the child is eligible, the first plan meeting must happen within 45 days of the referral 1
At age 3
Early intervention ends and the school district takes over under Part B, with different eligibility rules 2

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Find your referral route

Questions parents ask

Do I need a diagnosis first?

No. A child under 3 with a suspected delay or a diagnosed condition is entitled to a free evaluation, and a parent can refer directly. 1 If the evaluation finds nothing, you have lost nothing.

What if my doctor says to wait and see?

You can refer anyway. Current milestone guidance uses skills that most children have reached by that age, so a missed milestone is designed to prompt action rather than waiting. 3 The evaluation is free.

How long should it take?

Federal rules require the evaluation and, if the child is eligible, the first plan meeting within 45 days of the referral. 1 Note the date you referred, and quote it if you have to follow up.

Where these facts come from

  1. U.S. Government Publishing Office, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 34 CFR Part 303, Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. 2025. www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-30. Link checked September 3, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Education. IDEA Part B, Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities. 2025. sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii. Link checked September 3, 2026.
  3. American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC, Pediatrics. Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools. 2022. publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/149/3/e2021052138. Link checked September 3, 2026.