Physicians

Physicians and Pediatricians, this is your corner of the website. Included are several resources regarding the collaboration that is necessary for the intervention of infants and toddlers. Without your dedication, support, and knowledge of our system, many children who need services may not receive them.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• There is growing evidence that early intervention services have had a positive influence on the developmental outcome of children with established disabilities or those considered at risk for disabilities and their families.
• The pediatrician, in close collaboration with the family and the early intervention team, plays a critical role in guiding the clinical and developmental aspects of the early intervention services provided.'

In March, we shared important updates to the Early On referral form designed to strengthen how we connect young children and their families with the services they need. To further support your use of the updated form, we’ve prepared a short video for physicians and their teams, highlighting the recent enhancements and how they streamline the referral process.

The recording walks through each change, explains why the updates were made, and demonstrates how they help capture the information necessary to determine eligibility more efficiently. We encourage you to share this resource with all staff members who may submit referrals within your practice.

For your convenience, you can also access:

• The official memo from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MILEAP) detailing the updates.

• A PDF of the presentation slides featured in the video.

Thank you for your continued collaboration in supporting Michigan’s youngest learners and ensuring timely access to Early On services.

We offer no-cost, promotional products for outreach to children and young adults who may benefit from early intervention and/or special education services in Michigan.

Established conditions indicate automatic eligibility for Early On supports and services. Established conditions must be diagnosed by an appropriate health care or mental health provider and documented in a medical or other record (i.e., a Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) referral that references a medical diagnosis). Conditions include but are not limited to, the following:

Dr. Prachi Shah, a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician talks about how Michigan's Early On program helps families with at risk children find the resources they need.  This video helps physicians understand Early On, what it can do for their patients, and how it can help their practice.