About Children’s Developmental Disabilities
The Children’s Developmental Disabilities Program provides a system of care that has a wide array of home and community based services for children including intervention and support services. The system emphasizes evidence-based treatment methods, community integration, and family empowerment.
Services can be delivered under a traditional pathway by a Developmental Disabilities Agency (DDA) /Independent Provider or under a Family Directed services option where the parent acts in the role of the employer. A case manager is available to assist you to develop your child's plan of services and navigate children's services.
Developmental disability
A developmental disability (DD) is a chronic disability of a person which appears before 22 years of age and:
- Is attributable to an impairment, such as an intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or other condition found to be closely related to or similar to one of these impairments that requires similar treatment or services, or is attributable to dyslexia.
- Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity; self care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self direction, capacity for independent living, or economic self sufficiency.
- Reflects the needs for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary or generic care, treatment or other services which are of life-long or extended duration and individually planned and coordinated.
- Contact the local regional Family and Community Services (FACS) Developmental Disability Program office at 208-334-6500 or toll free at 877-333-9681 for information and an application.
- Complete and return the application form to the address listed on the application. Your child must first be approved for Medicaid in order to apply for DD services.
- The regional FACS staff will forward your application to the independent assessment provider (IAP).
- The IAP will review your application and determine if additional information is needed.
- After the application is complete, the IAP will contact you and schedule an appointment to conduct an assessment of eligibility.
- Once eligible, a Case Manager will assist you in connecting to services.
- Your child’s plan will be monitored monthly by the Case Manager to determine if progress is being made, if services are appropriate, and if any adjustments need to be made.
- Eligibility must be reviewed at least annually.
- The frequency of the review will be determined by the assessor based on change in functioning or needs of the child. This can be a full assessment, focused review, or paper review.
Other services
The Department of Behavioral Health, in collaboration with Medicaid and other internal and external stakeholders, is charged with the design