My Child May Have Special Needs - What Should I Do First?
For many parents, the first signs are not always obvious.
Maybe your child is not speaking as much as other children their age. Maybe they respond differently, have difficulty communicating, are developing more slowly in certain areas, or simply seem to experience the world differently.
As parents, we may notice something before we know exactly what it means.
The most important thing is this:
You do not need to have all the answers before asking for help.
If you live in California, there is a system designed to help families understand their child's needs and connect them with appropriate services.
Step 1 — Talk With Your Child's Doctor
A good first step is to speak with your child's pediatrician or family doctor.
Explain specifically what you have noticed. Instead of simply saying, “I think something is different,” give examples:
Speech or communication concerns
Motor-development concerns
Difficulty interacting or playing with others
Feeding or sensory concerns
Behavioral or emotional concerns
Skills that seem delayed or have changed
Your doctor may perform a developmental screening or refer your child to specialists for additional evaluation.
But parents should know something very important:
You do not necessarily need to wait for a final medical diagnosis before contacting California's early-intervention system.
For children under age 3, parents themselves can contact their local Regional Center and request an Early Start evaluation. California allows referrals from parents, doctors, caregivers and others who know the child.
Step 2 — If Your Child Is Under 3, Contact Your Regional Center
California's Early Start program serves infants and toddlers from birth through 36 months who have developmental delays or certain developmental risks.
After a referral, the Regional Center will help determine whether your child is eligible.
A service coordinator is assigned to help your family through the evaluation and assessment process. If your child qualifies, your family will develop an:
IFSP — Individualized Family Service Plan
The IFSP identifies your child's developmental needs, your family's priorities and the early-intervention services that may be appropriate.
Depending upon the child's individual needs, Early Start services can include speech and language services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, developmental instruction, assistive technology, family training, service coordination and other supports.
This is an important point for parents:
Every child's plan is different.
The goal should not be to compare your child's number of therapy hours with another child's. The goal is to determine what helps your child develop, communicate, participate, and become as independent as possible.
Step 3 — Start Planning for Age 3 Before the Third Birthday
Parents sometimes think everything suddenly changes on the child's third birthday.
The transition should actually begin earlier.
For children leaving Early Start, federal rules require transition planning to begin at least 90 days before the child's third birthday, and it may begin as early as nine months before the birthday.
This is when the Regional Center, family and local school district can begin discussing what happens next.
For children who may qualify for special education, the school district conducts its own evaluation.
If the child qualifies, the family and school district develop an:
IEP — Individualized Education Program
The IEP is different from the IFSP.
The IFSP focuses on early childhood development and the family.
The IEP focuses on the child's educational needs, goals, services and supports within the educational environment.
California parents have the right to request a special-education assessment, participate in their child's IEP meetings, receive information in a language they understand, and participate in decisions regarding eligibility, services and placement.
Step 4 — Understand That the School District and Regional Center Are Two Different Systems
This is one of the most confusing parts for new parents.
At age 3, the child does not automatically “leave the Regional Center.”
Instead, two systems may operate at the same time:
School District
Provides special education and related educational services through the IEP.
Regional Center
For children who continue to qualify, the Regional Center can coordinate developmental services and supports through an IPP — Individual Program Plan.
California Regional Centers provide assessment, service coordination, family support, referrals, advocacy and other developmental-disability services. Eligible individuals can receive Regional Center planning and service coordination beyond early childhood.
California also allows certain children ages 3 and 4 to receive provisional eligibility when they have significant functional limitations but do not yet meet the complete definition of a developmental disability.
So parents should think of it this way:
Before age 3:Early Start + IFSP
Age 3 and older:School District + IEPand, when eligible:Regional Center + IPP
These systems can work alongside one another.
Step 5 — Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten
Beginning around age 3, eligible children may receive preschool special-education services through their local school district.
Different districts use different program names, so parents should not be concerned if their district does not call its program “TOTS.” Ask the district for its preschool special-education program and request an evaluation if one has not already been completed.
Once the child enters TK, kindergarten and elementary school, the IEP continues to follow the child's educational needs if the child remains eligible.
Teachers, classrooms, case managers and therapists may change as the child grows, but the parents remain an important part of the IEP team.
Step 6 — Look Beyond Therapy and School
Children also need opportunities to simply be children.
Depending on the child's interests and abilities, families may explore inclusive or adaptive:
Sports
Swimming
Music
Art
Dance
Social groups
Summer programs
Community activities
After-school programs
Recreation programs
These programs are not replacements for medical care, Regional Center services or an IEP.
They are another layer of development.
Children benefit from opportunities to build friendships, confidence, communication, independence and a sense of belonging in their community.
San Gabriel Valley Regional Center Resources
Because Los Angeles County is divided by health districts, families living only a few miles apart may belong to different Regional Centers.
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center
75 Rancho Camino Drive
Pomona, CA 91766
Main / Early Start Intake: (909) 620-7722
SG/PRC serves many San Gabriel and Pomona Valley communities including Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Claremont, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, El Monte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Monrovia, Pomona, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, Walnut and West Covina, among others. Some portions of Pasadena, Temple City and Whittier are divided between Regional Centers.
Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center
1000 South Fremont Avenue
Alhambra, CA 91803
Main: (626) 299-4700
Early Start Intake: (626) 299-4777
Its service area includes communities such as Alhambra, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Marino, South Pasadena, East Pasadena, and other eastern Los Angeles County communities.
Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center
3303 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Main: (213) 383-1300
Early Start Intake: (213) 252-8610
Lanterman serves the Pasadena health district as well as Glendale, Central Los Angeles, and Hollywood-Wilshire areas.
If you are unsure which Regional Center serves your home address, California's Department of Developmental Services maintains a Regional Center lookup system.
Families can also call the Early Start BabyLine at 800-515-BABY (800-515-2229) for assistance.
A Valuable San Gabriel Valley Parent Resource
Parents' Place Family Resource & Empowerment Center
1500 S. Hyacinth Ave., Suite B
West Covina, CA 91791
Office: (626) 919-1091
WarmLine: (800) 442-2022
Parents' Place supports families of children with special needs throughout the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. It provides information, workshops, parent support, and community resources. The organization also has bilingual staff, including Chinese/Mandarin-speaking staff.
Sometimes talking with another parent who has already traveled this road can be just as important as receiving another brochure or medical report.
If You Remember Only Five Things
Trust your observations. If you are concerned about your child's development, ask questions.
Talk with your child's doctor, but do not feel that you must wait for a final diagnosis before seeking developmental services.
For a child under age 3 in California, contact your local Regional Center and ask about Early Start.
Before age 3, begin discussing the transition to your local school district and possible IEP services.
Remember that Regional Center services, school services and community enrichment are different systems—and your child may benefit from more than one of them.
Most importantly, receiving a diagnosis or identifying a developmental difference does not define everything about a child.
It simply gives parents more information about how their child learns, communicates and experiences the world—and helps families begin finding the support, opportunities and community that will allow that child to grow.
This article is intended as general educational information for California families. Eligibility, services and individual circumstances vary. Families should confirm current requirements with their child's medical providers, local school district, Regional Center and appropriate public agencies.
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