Early Intervention (Birth–3) in Wake County, NC: A Parent's Guide

If your child under three in Wake County shows signs of a developmental delay — speech that isn't coming in, missed motor milestones, early signs of autism, or sensory differences that affect daily life — there's a specific state program you can access, at no cost for the evaluation. North Carolina's Infant-Toddler Program (NC ITP) is the state's federally funded Early Intervention system under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and in Wake County it's delivered through one specific agency. This guide walks through exactly who to call, what the evaluation and service plan process looks like, and what happens as your child approaches their third birthday.

What Is the NC Infant-Toddler Program?

The North Carolina Infant-Toddler Program (NC ITP), sometimes branded as "Be Early," is the state's Early Intervention program for children from birth through just before their third birthday who have developmental delays, disabilities, or qualifying conditions. It's administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS), Division of Child and Family Well-Being, and services are delivered through regional Children's Developmental Services Agencies (CDSAs) across the state.

The program is federally mandated under Part C of IDEA, which means every state has one — but each state runs its program slightly differently. North Carolina's structure routes families through their regional CDSA, which handles everything from initial referral to eligibility determination to coordinating the Individualized Family Service Plan.

Which CDSA Serves Wake County?

Wake County is served by the Raleigh CDSA, which serves Wake County only (no neighboring counties). This is the single point of contact for Early Intervention services for families living anywhere in Wake County — Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Zebulon, and the rest of the county.

Raleigh CDSA contact information:

• Address: 1100 Navaho Drive, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27609
• Phone: 919-664-1800
• Director: Tracey Karp
• Director email: tracey.karp@dhhs.nc.gov

If you live in Wake County and have concerns about your child's development, this is the agency you contact first.

Who Is Eligible for NC ITP?

Eligibility is for children under the age of three who have one or more of the following:

• An identified developmental delay in cognition, physical development (including vision and hearing), communication, social or emotional development, or adaptive behavior
• An established condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay (certain genetic conditions, significant prematurity, specific medical diagnoses)
• An atypical pattern of development that puts the child at risk even if a formal delay isn't yet measurable

The CDSA — not the referring party — determines eligibility, using standardized measures, family interviews, and direct observation. If your child is referred and doesn't qualify at the time of evaluation, the CDSA can connect your family to other resources and, if circumstances change, re-evaluation is possible.

How Do You Request an Evaluation?

Referrals can be made by phone, email, fax, letter, or in person to the Raleigh CDSA at the contact information above. Parents don't need a doctor's referral — any adult who knows the child (including a parent, pediatrician, childcare provider, or family member) can make the referral. Referral sources are encouraged to talk with parents first, but parental consent isn't required to make the referral itself. Parental consent IS required before any evaluation takes place.

A referral needs:

• The child's name, date of birth, address, and phone number
• The parent's name
• The reason for concern

After the referral, an Early Intervention Service Coordinator (EISC) at the Raleigh CDSA contacts your family to:

• Explain the program
• Obtain written parental consent for evaluation
• Schedule the evaluation (which may happen in your home, at the CDSA, or another agreed location)
• Begin coordinating the full evaluation and assessment process

Your EISC becomes your main point of contact throughout your child's time in Early Intervention. They coordinate across all providers, help with scheduling, and answer questions as they come up.

Is NC ITP Free?

Evaluation and service coordination are free to the family — no sliding scale, no co-pay, no requirement to prove inability to pay. These are federally and state-funded as a right under Part C of IDEA.

Other services (OT, speech, PT, special instruction, etc.) follow a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay, with important protections built in:

• Families who cannot pay are not denied services. Full stop.
• Medicaid and private insurance may be billed with the family's written permission
• The sliding fee is tied to family income and family size

For most families, the out-of-pocket cost is modest or zero, especially if Medicaid is available or if private insurance covers Early Intervention services.

What Services Does NC ITP Cover?

The NC ITP covers a wide range of services, listed in the current NC DHHS program materials:

• Assistive technology
• Audiology
• Early identification and screening
• Evaluations
• Family training and counseling
• Health and nursing services
• Medical services (for diagnostic or evaluation purposes)
• Nutrition services
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Psychological services
• Respite care
• Service coordination (your EISC)
• Social work services
• Special instruction
• Speech-language therapy
• Transportation (for accessing services)
• Vision services

Which of these your child actually receives depends on the Individualized Family Service Plan — the written plan built with your family and the clinical team after evaluation.

What Is the IFSP and How Long Does It Take to Get One?

The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is the formal written document that lays out your child's Early Intervention services. Unlike an IEP (which comes later for school-age children), the IFSP is family-centered — it's organized around your family's priorities, concerns, and resources, not just your child's needs in isolation.

The 45-day rule: Per NC ITP policy, the initial IFSP meeting must be held within 45 days of the child's referral to the program. This is a federal requirement under Part C of IDEA, and it's one of the most important numbers to know. If the clock is ticking and you haven't heard about scheduling your IFSP meeting, call your EISC and ask where things stand.

What the IFSP contains:

• Your child's current levels of functioning across developmental domains
• Your family's concerns, priorities, and resources
• Measurable outcomes for your child and family
• The specific services your child will receive (type, frequency, duration, location)
• The service coordinator (your EISC)
• A transition plan beginning at least 90 days before your child's third birthday

IFSP review timeline: The plan is reviewed every six months from the date the initial plan is signed, with a full annual review once per year. If something changes before then — new concerns, a shift in your child's progress, a change in your family's situation — you can request a review at any time.

What Does a Typical Service Plan Look Like?

Every IFSP is individualized, so the specifics vary considerably. That said, Wake County families whose young children qualify for autism-related or developmental services often see plans structured something like this:

• Service coordination: Monthly contact with your EISC (as needed)
• Special instruction: Weekly or bi-weekly home visits from a developmental specialist focused on skills like play, communication, and daily routines
• Speech-language therapy: Weekly or bi-weekly sessions for communication delays
• Occupational therapy: As indicated for sensory processing, feeding, or fine motor concerns
• Family training: Ongoing coaching for parents to carry over strategies between sessions

Early Intervention in NC leans heavily on parent coaching rather than clinic-based intensive therapy. The research base supports this: for very young children, caregivers delivering strategies throughout daily routines tends to produce stronger outcomes than therapist-only hours in a clinic. Expect your EISC and service providers to spend a lot of time teaching you specific techniques, modeling them, and watching you practice.

The Transition to Age 3: Moving Toward Preschool Special Education

Here's one of the most important things families often don't realize until it's close: Early Intervention ends on your child's third birthday. There's no gradual phase-out. On the day they turn three, if they still need services, the responsibility shifts from the NC ITP to your local school district — in Wake County, that's Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).

Federal law requires the transition planning process to begin at least 90 days before your child's third birthday — but good practice (and most CDSAs in NC) start it at around 2 years, 6 months, so you have time to plan properly.

The transition process involves:

1. A transition conference with your EISC, you, and (with your consent) a representative from WCPSS to discuss what's next
2. Referral to WCPSS for a preschool special education evaluation if your child may continue to need services
3. A separate eligibility evaluation by WCPSS to determine whether your child qualifies for Preschool Special Education Services (the eligibility rules under Part B of IDEA are different from the Part C rules used by NC ITP)
4. An IEP (Individualized Education Program) — the Part B equivalent of the IFSP, developed if your child is found eligible, in effect from the third birthday forward

Who to Contact at WCPSS

Wake County Public Schools — Office of Early Learning handles Preschool Special Education Services (for children ages 3 to 5):

• Address: 110 Corning Rd, Suite 2100, Cary, NC 27518
• Phone: (919) 431-7700
• Email: child-find-office@wcpss.net
• Fax: (919) 431-7617

WCPSS Preschool Special Education Services provide specially designed instruction based on each child's IEP, with related services as needed. Services can be delivered in various settings — home, child care centers, Head Start, private preschools, or public school classrooms — depending on the IEP.

If you want to make a direct referral to WCPSS (either as part of the Early Intervention transition or independently, if your child wasn't in Early Intervention), the Office of Early Learning is where to start. If you're currently working with the Raleigh CDSA, your EISC will usually coordinate the WCPSS referral with you.

What If Your Child Doesn't Qualify for WCPSS?

Some children who qualified for NC ITP under its broader developmental delay criteria won't meet the stricter eligibility standards for WCPSS Preschool Special Education (Part B of IDEA uses a different set of criteria focused on educational need). If that's your family's situation:

• Your EISC can help you plan the transition even without school district services
• Private therapy, ABA, speech, and OT may continue through private insurance or Medicaid
• Head Start, NC Pre-K, and other community preschool options may be a strong fit
• You can re-request a WCPSS evaluation at any later point if concerns continue or change

How ABA Fits Into the Wake County Early Intervention Picture

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy is one of the services that can be part of an Early Intervention service plan for children with autism or related developmental differences, though it's typically not the first-line service for children under 3 — Early Intervention leans toward family-centered coaching and developmentally-structured special instruction at this age. For many families, more intensive ABA begins around age 2 or 2.5 as part of transition planning, or at age 3 after the move to Part B services.

Apex ABA provides evidence-based ABA therapy for autistic children across Wake County, with programs that align with the goals set in your child's IFSP (if under 3) or IEP (if 3 or older). We work closely with Early Intervention teams and WCPSS to make sure what happens in ABA complements what's happening at home and in school.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I call for Early Intervention in Wake County?

The Raleigh CDSA at 919-664-1800. They serve Wake County only (not neighboring counties) and handle every step of the Early Intervention process, from initial referral through the transition to WCPSS at age 3.

Does NC ITP cost anything?

Evaluation and service coordination are free regardless of family income. Other services follow a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay, with the explicit protection that no family will be denied services for inability to pay. Medicaid and private insurance may be billed with the family's written permission.

How long does it take to get an IFSP after referral?

Per NC ITP policy and federal Part C requirements, the initial IFSP meeting must be held within 45 days of referral. If 45 days are approaching and you haven't heard about scheduling, contact your Early Intervention Service Coordinator at the Raleigh CDSA.

What happens on my child's third birthday?

NC ITP services end. Responsibility shifts to Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) if your child needs continued support. Transition planning begins at least 90 days before the third birthday — typically earlier — and involves a transition conference, a separate WCPSS eligibility evaluation, and a new IEP if your child qualifies.

Can my child receive both NC ITP services and private ABA therapy?

Yes. Many families do. NC ITP services are coordinated through your IFSP, and private ABA (billed through private insurance or Medicaid) can run alongside the Early Intervention plan. Coordination between the NC ITP team and your private ABA provider helps make sure strategies are consistent across settings.

Looking for ABA therapy in Wake County that works alongside your child's Early Intervention or WCPSS team? Reach out to Apex ABA to talk about what family-centered ABA could look like for your family.