OAR 581-015-2780: EI Eligibility

(1) Upon completing the administration of tests and other evaluation materials, the designated referral and evaluation agency must determine, through a multidisciplinary team, whether a child is eligible for EI services by following the procedures in this rule. (2) The multidisciplinary team must include the parents, in accordance with OAR 581-015-2750, and individuals from two or more separate disciplines or professions, including persons who are knowledgeable about the child. (3) To be eligible for EI services, the child must meet the minimum criteria for subsection (a), (b) or (c), below: (a) Categorical: (A) The child meets the minimum criteria for one of the following disability categories in OAR 581-015-2130 through 581-015-2180: autism spectrum disorder, deafblindness, hearing impairment, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury or visual impairment. (B) If the child meets the disability criteria for a categorical eligibility in subsection (A), the child's disability does not need to be presently adversely affecting the child's development for the child to be eligible for EI services. (b) Medical: The child has a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay, as documented by one of the following with the appropriate State Board licensure: a physician, a physician associate, or a nurse practitioner. (c) Developmental delay: The child experiences a developmental delay and as a result needs EI services. Developmental delay means two standard deviations or more below the mean in one or more of the following developmental areas, or 1.5 standard deviations below the mean in two or more of the developmental areas: (A) Cognitive development; (B) Physical development; (C) Communication development; (D) Social or emotional development; (E) Adaptive development. (4) The multidisciplinary team must prepare an evaluation report and a written statement of eligibility. (a) The evaluation report(s) must describe and explain the results of the evaluation conducted. (b) The written statement of eligibility must include: (A) A list of the evaluation data considered in determining the child's eligibility; (B) A determination of whether the child meets the minimum criteria for EI as described in (3) of this part; and (C) The signature of each member of the team signifying his or her concurrence or dissent. (5) For a child who may have disabilities in more than one category, the team need only qualify the child for EI services under one disability category, however: (a) The child must be evaluated in all areas of development and areas of suspected disability; and (b) The child's IFSP must address all of the child's early intervention needs. (6) The multidisciplinary team must give the parents a copy of the eligibility statement and evaluation report. (7) The contractor or subcontractor must notify the child's resident district upon determination of eligibility for EI services. (8) A child found eligible under this rule is eligible for regional services if the child meets the criteria under OAR 581-015-2550 for vision impairment, hearing impairment, autism spectrum disorder, severe orthopedic impairment or traumatic brain injury.