State and Jurisdictional Eligibility Definitions for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Under IDEA Part C
- Alabama
- Alaska
- American Samoa
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Department of Defense
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Washington
Part C Developmental Delay Eligibility Criteria
1.5 SD or 25% delay from chronological age in one or more developmental areas
At-Risk Served Under Federal Part C Policies
State Part C Eligibility Policy
Selected Categories of Diagnosed Conditions
Hearing Impairment
List of diagnosed conditions includes deafness/hearing loss. A hearing loss that adversely affects a child's development is:
- Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and/or permanent conductive hearing loss of 45 dB or greater.
- Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and or permanent conductive hearing loss, which includes:
- Hearing loss of 20 dB or greater, better ear average of the frequencies 500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz.;
- High frequency loss greater than 25 dB at two or more consecutive frequencies or average of three frequencies between 2,000 and 6,000 Hz, in the better ear;
- Low frequency hearing loss greater than 30 dB at 250 and 500 Hz, in the better ear; or
- Thresholds greater than 25 dB on Auditory Brainstem Response threshold testing in the better ear; or
- A six-month history of fluctuating conductive hearing loss or chronic middle ear effusion/infection of three months, unresolved past initial evaluation.
Vision Impairment
List of diagnosed conditions includes: vision impairment. Infants and toddlers with visual impairment/blindness are:
- Those children who have a visual impairment that adversely affects the child's development, even with correction. Eligibility shall be dependent on documentation of a visual impairment, including one or more of the following conditions:
- Legal blindness or visual handicap, as they are customarily defined, either in terms of qualifying reduction in visual acuity and/or a qualified reduction in visual fields; or
- A visual impairment that is progressive in nature and can be expected to lead to blindness within a reasonable period of time.
- If a visual acuity or field cannot be determined:
- The qualified personnel shall identify a diagnosis or medical history that indicates a high probability of visual loss that may adversely affect the child's development; and
- a functional vision evaluation by a qualified professional is necessary to determine eligibility.
Prenatal Exposure to Substances
State policy does not go beyond federal regulatory language.
Prematurity
Not included on state list of diagnosed/established conditions.
Low Birth Weight, Very Low Birth Weight, Small for Gestational Age
Not included on state list of diagnosed/established conditions.
Prenatal Exposure to Zika
Not included on state list of diagnosed/established conditions.
Summary of State and Jurisdictional Eligibility Definitions
- Eligibility for IDEA Part C Services
- Selected Diagnosed/Established Conditions
- Frequency of Developmental Delay Definitions
- Developmental Delay Eligibility Criteria
For questions, comments, or edits to the contents of these pages, contact Evelyn Shaw:
evelyn.shaw@unc.eduThe contents of this product were developed under grants from the U.S. Department of Education, #H373Z190002 and #H326P170001. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officers: Meredith Miceli, Amy Bae, and Julia Martin Eile.