The first step will be to go onto the Department of Economic Security website and fill out an online referral. https://azeip.azdes.gov/AzEIP/AzeipRef/Forms/Categories.aspx

After the referral process has been initiated, AzEIP has 45 days to evaluate, make an assessment, determine eligibility, and create an initial Individualized Family Service Plan(IFSP).

Children are found to be eligible for the program if they are 0-36 months of age if the child has not reached 50 percent of the developmental milestones expected at his/her chronological age or has established conditions with a high probability of developmental delay.

Eligibility can be made either by a review of medical records or by conducting a multidisciplinary evaluation. A specialist will do the multidisciplinary evaluation in person during the initial family visit, which should occur ten business days from the referral date.

An assessment is then done to assess the child’s strengths, the available resources, priorities, and concerns. The assessment will consider the results of the evaluation, parent assessments, personal observations, and the child’s present level of functioning.

During this meeting, the parent, the service coordinator, one member of the multidisciplinary team, and persons providing early intervention services will be present. Families will learn where their child is, determine what goals they will target, choose how many hours of service the child will receive, how, when, and where they will receive services.

The Team Lead will implement the plan discussed at the first IFSP meeting and update or change goals as necessary during the process. A review will take place every six months and will include a Child Outcomes Summary form. These reviews can occur more often depending on the goals and the interventions.

Ninety days before your child’s third birthday, a new IFSP will be created with transition steps outlined. These steps will include transition into preschool and the transition from AzEIP into the DDD/ALTCS system.On your child’s third birthday, you have the option of sending your child to preschool, no matter what time it is during the school year. Before the transition fromAzEIP to preschool happens, you will have an IEP meeting where you will meet with the school team as well as any existing team members you already have, and together you’ll plan the services your child will receive and the goals they will work on while they’re there. Going this route ensures that your child will have access of speech, occupational, and physical therapy in school in addition to a preschool education