Early Intervention

The Early Intervention Program is a public program for infants and toddlers with special needs. Children with certain diagnosed conditions that lead to developmental delays are eligible for this program. Children with no diagnosis who have delays in development may be eligible if their delays are serious enough. Parents are encouraged to contact the NYS Early Intervention Program at (518) 473-7016 for assistance with the referral process. Once evaluated by an approved evaluator, if a child is determined eligible by the municipality to participate in the program, services are provided at no cost to families. The county arranges the services to be provided and then chooses the provider based on the needs of the child and family. The child’s health insurance may be used to cover some program costs, but all other costs for EIP services are paid by the county and New York State. The EIP covers the cost of early intervention services only. It does not pay for daycare or other fees charged by community settings.

ITS of WNY holds a provider agreement with the NYS Dept of Health to provide Early Intervention services in Erie, Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties. Our services include multi-disciplinary evaluations and direct therapy which may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy as well as special instruction by certified special education teachers. The agency also offers services by a teacher of the deaf and a teacher of the visually impaired if a child presents with vision or hearing difficulties. Services primarily take place in a child’s home, daycare center, or a caregiver’s home, at the direction of the child’s family.

Play Groups

In addition to individual services offered in the child’s natural setting, ITS of WNY offers services in a variety of formats, including developmental group intervention and parent/child groups. These groups are offered for those children and their families who may benefit from services that take place in a group setting alongside peers.Groups are held at our office or at a nearby neighborhood or community site, as determined by the child’s Early Intervention team and as approved on the Individualized Family Service Plan, by the child’s municipality.

Preschool Services

ITS of WNY holds contracts with Genesee, Orleans, Erie, and Wyoming Counties to provide OT, PT and speech services for children aged 3-5, who have been approved by their local school district’s Committee on Preschool Special Education.

Services are provided during the school year, follow the school calendar of each district, and are designed to support the child’s educational program. Services take place in a child’s home, nursery school, child-care center, or universal pre-K classroom, as deemed appropriate by the child’s Committee on Preschool Special Education.

ITS of WNY therapists are also available to provide extended school year services, if approved by the school district.

Other services

ITS of WNY professionals are available for short-term projects, including staffing for kindergarten screenings in local schools, program and related service audits, and independent related service evaluations when requested by school district administrators. Our knowledgeable, experienced staff are also available to provide trainings to local childcare centers, schools and special interest groups.

School-based services

ITS of WNY holds more than 15 school district contracts in a large geographic area, including schools operating in Genesee, Orleans, Erie, Wyoming, and Livingston Counties. Our therapists work within each school building alongside district personnel in order to collaborate with other professionals, while providing quality services to students in their home districts.