Eligibility for Developmental Disability Social Services

IS YOUR CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 5 ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES?

Children grow at their own pace but there are some general developmental guidelines that children follow. If your child's medical providers or someone at school has noticed significant delays in cognitive development and adaptive functioning, or if your child has been diagnosed with a condition that results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of persons with mental retardation, this may suggest that your child could benefit from services for persons with Developmental Disabilities (DD). If your child's only condition is medically related, your child may or may not qualify for DD services.

A child under the age of five without a conclusive diagnosis must demonstrate significant sub-average intellectual functioning concurrent with demonstrated deficits in adaptive behavior.

There are three main ways for a child under the age of 5 years to be eligible for services in the Scott County Developmental Disabilities Unit.

1) The child has test scores of two or more standard deviations below the mean in at least two global areas of functioning, one of which is cognition.
2) The child has been assessed and diagnosed by a professional as having Global Developmental Delays.
3) The child has a medical diagnosis that results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of persons with mental retardation. This may be indicated by substantial (2 or more standard deviations below the mean) limitations in three or more areas of life activities, including self-care, understanding and use of language, learning, mobility, self-direction or judgement, and independent or daily living skills.

IS YOUR CHILD OVER THE AGE OF 5 ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABILITIES (DD)?

For a child over 5 years of age, a psychological evaluation (IQ score) completed within the last three years, and an adaptive skills assessment that documents delays must be provided. The child must show a full scale IQ of 70 or lower, or be diagnosed with a Related Condition and show both significant deficits in adaptive skills and have similar service needs to a person with mental retardation. Scott County will assist with obtaining an evaluation, if one is not available from the school or through private insurance.

DETERMINING IF THE PERSON HAS A DIAGNOSIS OF MENTAL RETARDATION

In determining if someone has a diagnosis of mental retardation, it is necessary to have:

• a medical diagnosis of mental retardation
• a full scale IQ score of 70 or below
• an adaptive behavior assessment that displays substantial impairment of skill related to personal independence and social responsibility (such as: self-care, mobility, communication, self-preservation, and community integration)

DETERMINING IF THE PERSON HAS A RELATED CONDITION

It is determined that a person has a related condition if the condition is found to be closely related to mental retardation, including, but not limited to, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and Prader-Willi syndrome and it meets all the following criteria:

• the condition is severe and chronic
• results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of persons with mental retardation
• requires treatment of services similar to those required for persons with mental retardation
• is manifested before the person reaches 22 years of age
• is likely to continue indefinitely
• results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity

1) self-care
2) understanding and use of language
3) learning
4) mobility
5) self-direction
6) capacity for independent living

WHEN YOUR CHILD TURNS 18 YEARS OLD:

Eligibility requirements do not change when a child reaches the age of 18; however, the legal status of your child does change. Your child becomes a legal adult with all the rights and responsibilities of any other adult. If you have concerns that your child's judgment or decision-making is a threat to their welfare, if they are unable to make responsible personal decisions, and/or are unable to meet their needs, you may wish to explore conservatorship or guardianship of the person and/or estate of your child. This is a legal procedure, done in court, and financial help is available for this process. A guardian or conservator may be a relative, another individual, or an agency. If this court process hasn’t been completed the person with the disability needs to apply for services.