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DDD Eligibility

AzEIP Resources

Preliminary Guidance from AzEIP for discussing DDD Eligibility 10/16/18

CRITERIA FOR CHILDREN BIRTH TO AGE 6

REVISION DATE: 4/17/2015

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 15, 1996

REFERENCES: A.A.C. R6-6-301(F)

A child under the age of 6 years may be eligible for services if there is a strongly demonstrated potential that the child is or will have a developmental disability as determined by the appropriate tests. Developmental Disability is defined in this Policy Manual. In the absence of other qualifying circumstances, children with the following conditions are not eligible for services:

A. Congenital Heart Defect;

B. Muscular Dystrophy;

C. Orthopedic Disorders;

D. Speech Delay Involving Only Intelligibility;

E. Significant Auditory Impairment; or,

F. Significant Visual Impairment.

In accordance with A.A.C. R6-6-301(F), to be eligible for Division services, a child birth to age 6 shall meet at least one of the following criteria:

A. Have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or cognitive/intellectual disability;

B. There is a strong demonstrated potential that a child is or will have a developmental disability (i.e. the parent or primary caregiver has a developmental disability and there is likelihood that without early intervention services the child will have a developmental disability.) Children diagnosed with the following conditions may be at risk of a developmental disability:

1. Spina bifida with Arnold Chiari malformation;

2. Periventricular leukomalacia;

3. Chromosomal abnormalities with high risk for cognitive/intellectual disability such as Downs Syndrome;

4. Autism Spectrum Disorders;

5. Post natal traumatic brain injury such as “shaken baby syndrome” or near drowning;

​6. Hydrocephaly;

7. Microcephaly;

8. Alcohol or drug related birth defects such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; and,

9. Birth weight under 1000 grams with evidence of neurological impairment.

C. Have demonstrated a significant developmental delay based on performance on a norm-referenced or criterion-referenced developmental assessment that is culturally appropriate. This developmental assessment must also be a professionally accepted tool which indicates that the child has 50% delay in one of the following five developmental domains, or that the child has 25% delay in two or more of the

following five domains:

1. Physical (fine and/gross motor, vision or hearing);

2. Cognitive;

3. Communication;

4. Social Emotional;

5. Self Help.

Developmental delay will be determined by a physician or person formally trained in early childhood development who evaluates the child through the use of culturally appropriate and recognized developmental tools and his/her informed clinical opinion.

Example: Child is 24 months old at testing.

Test Results:

1. Cognitive - 18 months

2. Gross Motor - 23 months

3. Fine Motor - 23 months

4. Social/Emotional - 22 months

5. Adaptive/Self Help - 22 months

6. Communication - 18 months

In this example, the child has 25% delay in both cognitive and communication skills and is at risk of a developmental disability.

 

Examples of acceptable developmental evaluation tools include, but are not limited to, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Battle, and the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (H.E.L.P.). Acceptable documentation of the potential that a child birth to age 6 is or will have a developmental disability includes, medical records indicating an at-risk condition, results of an acceptable developmental assessment, or a signed statement from a licensed physician, licensed psychologist, or other  professional trained in early childhood development specifying his/her clinical opinion as to the child's disability or delay.

 

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