Ezreinu Services

Update #25 – Baby Steps: Navigating EI services

My baby is 15 months old and still not sitting independently.

The playgroup morah called to tell me that my daughter doesn’t follow simple instructions like everyone else in the group.

My toddler can point, stamp his foot, and throw a tantrum when he wants something, but he won’t say a single word.

You may have noticed a delay in your child’s development, or perhaps your pediatrician recommended that your child get some intervention. Maybe your child has a diagnosis and you’ve been expecting to see developmental delays.


Taking those first steps into the world of services can seem daunting.

Who do you call? How does the process work?

Read on to learn about Early Intervention in NY and NJ in simple words.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • EI is completely free for everyone in New York State. Before your child gets evaluated, you will be asked to provide your insurance information for billing purposes. 

  • The typical services provided by EI agencies are OT, PT, SLP, and Special Ed. Some agencies provide additional services, such as social work or nutrition.

  • If you feel that your child could use more of a specific therapy which he or she is receiving from EI, you can ask your service coordinator to reassess the situation and if it’s found necessary, more of that therapy will be provided.

  • If your agency has a shortage of providers for a service which your child needs, your service coordinator should outsource to find providers from another agency. Your child does not need to receive all services from one agency.

  • Currently in Rockland County, EI services cannot be provided at day care centers which bill through HCBS.

  • EI services are designed to be provided in a “natural environment”, which means at home, in the child’s day care center, or out in the community.  

  • Some agencies do have EI centers where the child can receive therapy on-site. 

Call Ezreinu for contact information for EI agencies in NYC, Rockland County, and the Five Towns.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • EI is not necessarily free for everyone in New Jersey. Depending on your income and family size, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for EI services.

  • There are a variety of tools that an evaluation team may use to determine eligibility. If your child was evaluated and found ineligible for EI, you can request that the evaluation team reevaluate, using a different tool.

  • If your child is found ineligible for EI based on the evaluation, an evaluator is allowed to give an “informed clinical opinion” that your child should receive EI services anyways, but this is not a long-term solution.

  • Once an agency has accepted your case, if the therapist they would like to send is not available at a time that works for you, you can let the agency know. They may have your case be re-assigned to a new agency.

  • The typical services provided by EI agencies are OT, PT, SLP, and Developmental Intervention. Some agencies provide additional services, such as social work.

  • Feeding therapy is not available through EI.

  • There is currently a serious PT shortage in Ocean County (Lakewood).

  • EI services are designed to be provided in a “natural environment”, which means at home, in the child’s day care center, or out in the community.  

  • EI services cannot be provided in medical facilities or ABA centers.

New in Ezreinu

On Tuesday, January 14th, Ezreinu hosted a financial planning webinar for parents of children with special needs. The webinar was well-attended, with close to one hundred parents registered and many staying on for the interactive Q and A session afterwards!

We are grateful to Hashem for having provided the opportunity for many families to learn about their options for the future, and we would like to thank Eric Goldsmith and Stephen Ehrens of Northwestern Mutual for providing such a clear and informative presentation and Q and A for our participants.

Those who were unable to participate in the webinar can contact us at info@ezreinuservices.org to receive the resources.

Dozens of clients call Ezreinu for referrals. Schools, respite programs, therapists, or medical professionals – you name it, we get calls for it.

Updating our information is a never-ending task which we tackle with vigor, determined to give all of you amazing parents the best of the best.

(You’re welcome. 😌)

And what can be better than information directly from the front lines, information that parents LIKE YOU give over to us, straight from their experiences?

Parents of kids with special needs need DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICIANS who are skilled and kind. We’re running our FAMILY PIZZA DINNER contest again this month for all parents who take a minute to submit the developmental pediatrician form!

STEP 1: Complete this 6-question quickie of a form

STEP 2: Get entered into a raffle to win a pizza dinner for your whole family!

^^ Want *YOUR NAME* to be in this spot next month?

Join Holding Hands and win a

$150 gift card!

Get 2 people to join Holding Hands = 1 ticket

Cover a short-term request  = 2 tickets

Cover a long-term request = 3 tickets

Get involved TODAY to be entered into this month’s raffle!

No WhatsApp? No problem! Join the text group by texting your name and number to 929-450-4433.

And yes, you can still enter into the raffle:)