What is Indiana First Steps?
Indiana First Steps aims to support Indiana families by ensuring infants and toddlers receive early services that promote long-term development. These services focus on developmental needs; in most cases, medical needs are not covered
Contact Information
What to consider with Early Intervention?
- Is my child not meeting developmental milestones for their age?
- Am I concerned about my child’s speech, language, or communication development?
- Does my child have difficulty with motor skills like walking, crawling, or using their hands?
- Has my child been diagnosed with a medical condition that may affect development?
- Is my child struggling with social interaction or play skills with other children?
- Do I have concerns about my child’s behavior, feeding, or daily routines?
- Would my family benefit from support and resources during my child’s early years?
These questions reflect the key areas that this program addresses (birth to age 3, developmental delays, communication, motor skills, medical conditions) while using parent-friendly language that helps families identify when early intervention might be beneficial.
Getting Started with Indiana First Steps
Getting started with First Steps is simple and begins with a phone call to the System Point of Entry (SPOE) office at 1-800-387-7837 or by completing the online referral form. After a referral is received, a Service Coordinator will contact the family within two business days.
During this call, the coordinator will discuss the First Steps program and any developmental concerns the family may have. They will then schedule a no-cost, in-home assessment at a time that works best for the family.
The Assessment Team—made up of qualified early intervention therapists—will evaluate the child’s development across all areas to determine eligibility for services.
Is My Child Eligible for Indiana First Steps Services?
Families eligible for Indiana’s First Steps program have children under the age of three (3) who meet one of the following criteria:
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Have a developmental delay of 25% or more (or a score of 2 or more standard deviations below the mean) in at least one developmental area, or
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Have a developmental delay of 20% or more (or a score of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean) in two or more developmental areas, or
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Have a diagnosed physical or mental condition with a high likelihood of leading to developmental delays.
Note: A child with an eligible diagnosis may qualify for services even if no developmental delays are currently present. In such cases, families will receive information about their rights, the child’s current developmental levels, available community supports, and how to reconnect with the system if concerns arise or the child’s status changes.
Eligibility is determined by a multidisciplinary team using multiple sources of information and must be reviewed annually through a face-to-face meeting with the child and family.
If you think your child or a child you know may be experiencing developmental delays Contact your physician or First Steps for further information and support.
First Steps Services Offered
First Steps is dedicated to delivering high-quality services to every child and family and APT is proud to be an Indiana First Steps Provider.
For a full list of First Steps service offerings, visit: https://www.in.gov/fssa/firststeps/parents/services-offered/
References
Please Note: For accuracy information on this APT page was found on Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and Indiana First Steps page.
What Happens As My Child Approaches His/Her Third Birthday?
Possibly the most challenging transition of all is when a child is no longer eligible, in need of services or reaches their third birthday. This is when the Intake and/or Service Coordinator will assist the family in looking at different options that may be available to their child and family.
APT’s goal is that, if ongoing therapy is necessary, you will consider enrolling in services at one of our nearby locations.
