There is no out of pocket cost for the evaluation - we do bill medical insurance; however, deductible, co-pay and co-insurance charges for the evaluation are written off. If your child qualifies for services and you decide to pursue those services, we do bill medical insurance for visits. If there is an associated deductible, co-insurance or copay you are responsible for this cost, based on your insurance. After the evaluation, your Family Resource Coordinator and our Medical Billing team can help you figure out exactly what that deductible or copay may be based on your insurance.

If the evaluation shows your child has an area of need based on testing scores or the clinical opinion of the therapist, the child qualifies for ESIT services such as Speech therapy, Physical Therapy, etc. All services are voluntary. A child may qualify for services based on testing and observation, but it is up to the family if they wish to receive those services. It is the family’s right to change their mind about services at any time.

This program serves children up until their third birthday. After turning 3, we help children transition either to School District services or to private therapy services through insurance or cased base if needed. We can take referrals for children up to 45 days before a child’s 3rd birthday.

Please visit: Early Start Complaint Process - CA Department of Developmental Services Or call 916-651-6309

In the event that you are moving out of our catchment area, your Family Resources Coordinator (FRC) will help you find Early Supports services in your area. If your Individual Family Service Plan is current, the plan can move with your child. Once you move, you will not receive FRC services through Northwest Center, your FRC will be through your new Early Supports.

An evaluation is a comprehensive evaluation done by trained therapists and educators to evaluate strengths and areas for improvement based on a child’s age and medical history. We evaluate language skills (both expressive and receptive), motor skills, adaptive (self-help), cognitive, social-emotional skills and review hearing and vision. We can also evaluate feeding, sensory processing, infant mental health, and nutrition based on family and child need.

This is what we call transition process. We begin talking about the transition process very soon after your child begins services at WRC. When your child turns three, Early Supports services end. At age three, the local school district takes over the provision of services, if your child continues to qualify for services. Your FRC and primary service provider will help your family with the transition process with the school district to determine if your child is eligible for ongoing services. We support smooth transition out of our service and connect families with other resources that can help after you transition out of ES.

A Family Resources Coordinator (FRC) is unique to Early Supports. The family resources coordinator assists the family in navigating the early intervention system by setting up intake, evaluation and transition; they coordinate resources within Northwest Center and the community and are a part of the ES team.

IFSP is an acronym for Individual Family Service Plan. If your child is eligible for Early Supports services you will have a meeting with your Family Resources Coordinator (FRC) and other service providers to create an IFSP. These are goals for the next 6-12 months. You will work with your FRC and therapists/educators to ensure the plan reflects your family’s concerns, interests and values. Services begin when you have agreed to the IFSP and consent to the services. The IFSP is an ongoing process that meets the changing needs of your child and family and it can be amended at any time.

​That is completely up to you; our program is completely voluntary. An evaluation will give you a comprehensive view of where your child is at developmentally, however, even if your child qualifies for services it is your right to decline any or all services.

​Our evaluations are done through a combination of parent report, observation, and assessments with developmentally normed tools.

Infants and toddlers are developing brain connections and brain architecture at such a rapid pace and learn best in their natural environment from a trusted caregiver. There is much to learn from a parent at home with the coaching of a Physical Therapist. Sessions are typically set up as follows: The Physical Therapist (PT) will observe and assess the child’s movements and ask the parent questions about their child’s mobility and independence. The PT will check in with the family, review the shared plan from the previous visit and work collaboratively with the family to address priorities for the session. The PT will ask you to trial activities and games in your home to elicit movements from your child that support development of physical therapy goals, including strength, core stability, balance and motor planning skills. The PT will suggest use of toys and materials already found in your home to support development. The PT will use props to model techniques (i.e. motor therapy doll, toys, other household items ) for parents and observe the parent trying these techniques with their child, giving feedback. The parent and child may be asked to repeat an activity multiple times to help the child learn and integrate new skills. At the end of the session, the PT will review successful activities from the session and make suggestions of which activities the family should work on with the child, until the next PT session. With the coaching of a Physical Therapist, the parent learns and is empowered to support their child's physical development.

​I will actively try to engage with your little one during the evaluation, however, its not expected for them to want to stay front and center during the entire evaluation. Since our evaluation process relies on parent report in addition to testing, it is completely fine for your little one to come and go from the screen view.