Early Intervention
Human Services Building
425 Franklin Farm Ln
Chambersburg, PA 17202
(717) 264-5387
800-841-3593
Fax (717) 263-0469
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:30
Closed on weekends and all county observed holidays.
For Referrals and Intakes, or to schedule your child's evaluation, please call Service Access & Management (SAM) at 717-709-4321.
About
The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development & Early Learning joins with
counties and families in providing this program to children ages birth to three
who have, or who are at risk of having, a disability or developmental delay.
Services are provided in the child’s natural environments.
Core Principles of Early Intervention
• Provides supports and services to infants/toddlers and young children with disabilities and their families/caregivers so that they may help the child grow and develop.
• Embeds supports and services within learning opportunities that exist in the child’s typical routines and within the home and community activities and/or builds on existing supports and services in the family, community, and early education resources.
• Provides coordinated, flexible, Early Intervention supports and services through personnel working collaboratively with the family and each other.
• Provides supports and services focused on the family and child’s transition between and among early education early education programs.
What is Early Intervention?
Early Intervention in Pennsylvania is services and supports designed to help families with children who have developmental delays. Early Intervention builds upon the natural learning occurring in those first few years. It is a process that promotes collaboration among parents, service providers, and others significantly involved with your child.
With your help, early intervention services and supports can enhance your child’s development by:
• Answering your questions about your child’s development
• Enhancing your capacity to meet the developmental needs of your child throughout daily routines at home and in the community
• Enhancing your child’s developmental and educational growth
• Supporting your child with developmental delays to become more independent
• Preventing the need for more and costly intervention in the future
• Supporting communities to become more aware of the gifts and abilities of all its children.
There are five primary developmental areas:
• Ability to move, see, and hear-physical development
• Ability to talk, understand, and express needs-language and speech development
• Ability to relate to others-social and emotional development
• Ability to hear, dress, and take care of oneself-self help( or adaptive development)
• Ability to think and learn-cognitive development.
Funding
All Early Intervention Services are provided at NO COST to families. They are free as a part of Pennsylvania’s ongoing commitment to children and their families. If a child does have a Medical Assistance Card (ACCESS) then all Early Intervention Services will be billed to the child’s ACCESS card.
For more information, please contact us at mhiddei@franklincountypa.gov
