{"id":1748,"date":"2026-01-06T08:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T08:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/?p=1748"},"modified":"2026-05-19T23:43:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T23:43:59","slug":"early-intervention-evaluation-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/aprendamos\/foundations-first\/early-intervention-evaluation-process\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens During an Early Intervention Evaluation?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>An early intervention evaluation is a supportive, family-centered process designed to understand your child\u2019s development and determine whether services may be helpful.<\/strong>&nbsp;For many families, this evaluation is the first step toward clarity, guidance, and peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is an Early Intervention Evaluation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An early intervention evaluation looks at how a child is developing across key areas, including communication, movement, play, and social-emotional skills. Evaluations are conducted for children from birth to age three and are part of the New Mexico Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose is not to label a child, but to understand strengths, identify areas that may need support, and determine eligibility for early intervention services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Can Request an Evaluation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone with concerns about a child\u2019s development can request an evaluation. This includes parents, guardians, foster parents, pediatricians, childcare providers, or other caregivers. A medical diagnosis is not required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have concerns, that alone is enough reason to ask for an evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does the Evaluation Look Like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early intervention evaluations are designed to feel natural and comfortable for both the child and family. Evaluations typically take place in the child\u2019s home or another familiar environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the evaluation, specialists may:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Observe your child during play and daily routines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask questions about your child\u2019s development and history<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use age-appropriate activities to assess skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talk with caregivers about concerns and goals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The evaluation is interactive and family-centered, with caregivers actively involved throughout the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Areas of Development That Are Reviewed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The evaluation looks at multiple areas of development, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Communication and language<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gross and fine motor skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cognitive and problem-solving skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social and emotional development<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adaptive and self-help skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking at the whole child helps the team understand how different areas of development work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens After the Evaluation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the evaluation, the team will review the results with the family and explain whether the child qualifies for early intervention services. If a child is eligible, the next step is creating an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IFSP outlines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Developmental goals based on the family\u2019s priorities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Services that may support the child\u2019s growth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How services will be delivered in everyday routines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a child does not qualify, families still receive guidance, developmental information, and recommendations for next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Early Evaluations Matter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early evaluations help families act during the most critical years of brain development. When support begins early, children often make meaningful progress in communication, movement, and social engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just as important, evaluations help families feel informed and supported rather than uncertain or alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Aprendamos Supports Families<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a provider of the New Mexico FIT Program, Aprendamos Early Intervention offers free developmental evaluations for families in Do\u00f1a Ana and Sierra Counties. The team works closely with caregivers to ensure the process feels respectful, clear, and supportive from start to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Get Started<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Call\u00a0<strong>Aprendamos - Intervenci\u00f3n Temprana<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0<a href=\"tel:(575) 526-6682\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(575) 526-6682<\/a>\u00a0or visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/\">aitkids.com<\/a>\u00a0to request a free developmental evaluation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meet with your team to learn which services best support your family<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>New Mexico Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmececd.org\/apply-for-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.nmececd.org\/apply-for-services\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children&#8217;s Hospital of Philadelphia &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/primary-care\/developmental-milestones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/primary-care\/developmental-milestones<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An early intervention evaluation is a supportive, family-centered process designed to understand your child\u2019s development and determine whether services may be helpful.&nbsp;For many families, this evaluation is the first step toward clarity, guidance, and peace of mind. What Is an Early Intervention Evaluation? An early intervention evaluation looks at how a child is developing across [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_meta_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-foundations-first"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aitkids.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}