Early Childhood Intervention

If you are concerned about your child, don’t delay in asking for help.

How to Get Started:

Call to request an evaluation. Our staff will call you to schedule your first visit.

At Your First Visit:

ECI staff will determine if your child is eligible for services

Make a Plan: 

An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) will be developed for you to receive services. billing and payments will be discussed.

Begin Services:

Services are provided by ECI licensed and/credentialed professionals. ECI professionals and family members work together to help the child learn new skills through everyday activities. Services are coordinated with others in the community.

Look at Progress: 

Your child’s progress will be reviewed regularly.

Transition Out of ECI Services:

Before your child’s third birthday, the ECI staff will help you plan for services and supports within MHMR and elsewhere, such as the local school district, Head Start and private therapy.

Parent Handbook: English | Spanish

Paying for ECI: English | Spanish

Our Mission: To assure that families of young children with developmental delays have the resources and support they need to reach their goals.

What is a developmental delay? 

A developmental delay is when a child is behind schedule reaching early childhood milestones. These significant lags may occur in one or more areas of growth, emotional, mental, or physical.

Types of delays: 

• Communication – speech and language
• Cognitive – thinking and learning 
• Motor – movement 
• Social/Emotional – relationships and interactions 
• Self-help – feeding and dressing 

Children develop at their own pace. However, if you are concerned that your child may have some delays, early intervention is the best way to help them. Call ECI for an evaluation. If you are eligible, ECI will determine your need and recommend services. Fees are based on a sliding scale.

Comments or questions? Contact us at [email protected]

To receive services through Early Childhood Intervention, you must be eligible* in the following ways:

• Live in one of the following counties:
  • Cooke
  • Denton
  • Ellis
  • Erath
  • Hood
  • Johnson
  • Navarro
  • Palo Pinto
  • Parker
  • Somervell
  • Tarrant
  • Wise
• Have a medically diagnosed condition that will probably result in a developmental delay (see brochure below)
• Have a developmental delay or difficulty with these skills:
  • Communication – Language or speech 
  • Cognitive – Thinking, learning, playing, reasoning, etc. 
  • Motor – Physical development, such as:
    • Gross motor (using large muscles): sitting up, crawling, and walking 
    • Fine motor (using smaller muscles): grabbing small objects
    • Oral motor (using the mouth): to suck or chew
  • Social/emotional – Curious, enjoys playtime, interacts with others, etc. 
  • Self-help – Taking care of own needs (eating, drinking, washing hands, potty training, etc.)
• Have an auditory or visual impairment, determined by local school district certified staff 

Search for a Medically Qualifying Diagnosis

How will my child’s developmental difficulties be evaluated?

A team of ECI professionals will use the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI-2) to determine a child’s abilities, delays, or difficulties. 

During the evaluation, ECI will observe your child and talk to the parents about the child’s abilities. ECI also may gather information from other sources, such as the child’s medical history, interviews with parents or other primary caregivers, and medical professionals. 

If the child is eligible, as assessment will then: 

• Identify the child’s unique strengths and needs
• Determine what services are appropriate 

What do services cost?

A sliding fee scale is determined by the state (HHS/ECI), according to the family’s ability to pay. Insurance may cover the cost of some services. ECI will bill your family’s insurance, with your permission. Families are billed based on a sliding scale. 

Learn more: English | Spanish 

Payment Options: 

• Credit Card
• Flexible Spending Account
• Check 

Many children with a developmental delay are not identified until they enter school. 

Early intervention can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn, reducing the need for additional interventions later in life. 

Developmental delays can hinder a child’s ability to develop to his or her fullest potential. 

If you are concerned that an infant or toddler may have a developmental delay or disability, contact ECI for an evaluation. 

Anyone can request an evaluation: 

• Parents
• Family members
• Health care professionals 
• Social workers 
• Caregivers
• Friends
• Neighbors

ECI will then determine if a child needs services and is eligible to receive them. The family will be involved in the evaluation, from the initial assessments to planning the next appropriate steps. 

It’s easy to contact ECI and request an evaluation:

• Call 1-800-754-0524 or 817-446-8000 between Monday – Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Fax: 817-569-4492
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: ECI of North Central Texas 3800 Hulen Street, Suite 400 Fort Worth, TX 76107

Referral Form: Print and complete the form, then submit by fax, email, or mail. 

Referral Form – Families

Referral Form – Doctors 

• Parent Cafes 
• About Texas ECI  
• American Academy of Pediatrics 
• Birth to Five: Watch Me Thrive!
• Child Development (CDC)
• Development Screening
• Healthy Outcomes Through Prevention & Early Support 
• IDD Needs Council
• Learn the Signs, Act Early (CDC)
• Navigating the Language of ECI:
  • Glossary of Terms 
  • What Do All Those Letters Mean?
• Parent Companion First Five Years
• Parents Guide to Raising Healthy, Happy Children: English | Spanish 
• Parent to Parent: Knowing Your Rights – Video 
• Partners Resource Network – PATH Project 
• STAR Kids 
• Texans Care for Children 
• Texas ECI: Family to Family 
• Texas Parent to Parent 
• Zero to Three 

We will have time during and after the assessment to answer questions about your child and your service plan. Some frequently asked questions during the first meeting are:

• How is ECI different from other therapies?
  ECI provides comprehensive case management, therapy and counseling for young children and their caregivers. Using an evidence-based primary provider approach to teaming and adult coaching, ECI has consistently outperformed state metrics for critical developmental outcomes, such as social/emotional development, acquiring/using new skills and getting basic care. You’ll learn more about our approach as we develop your plan. The welcome letter will help explain further, too.

• What if my child is close to age 3?
  ECI will evaluate your child and help with the transition of services at age 3. The transition will be a key part of your service plan.