Infant & Toddler Connection

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
703-246-7165 TTY 711
Greenwood Plaza, 12015 Route 50, Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22033
Adriana Gallego Gomez
Local System Manager ITC of Fairfax-Falls Church

Infant & Toddler Connection (ITC)

ITC LogoThe Infant & Toddler Connection (ITC) of Fairfax-Falls Church provides evaluations and early intervention services for infants and toddlers up to age 3 who have a developmental delay or a diagnosis that may lead to developmental delays.

The first few years of a child’s life are a sensitive period in the process of development, laying a foundation in childhood and beyond for cognitive functioning; social and emotional skills; behavior and self-regulatory capacities; and physical health. ITC assists with developmental delays or disabilities, helping children learn and develop through everyday activities and routines so they can participate fully in family and community activities.

Refer to the following checklist to give you an idea if your child is on track:

 

First Contact

When you contact ITC, our intake coordinator will gather information to better understand your concerns. The intake coordinator then links parents to a service coordinator, who will schedule a brief screening assessment.

 

Eligibility

ITC serves children who:

  • Are under the age of 3 years old and
  • Live in Fairfax County or the cities of Fairfax or Falls Church and
  • Meet one or more of the following criteria:
    • Have a 25% or greater delay in at least one developmental area (cognitive, adaptive, receptive, or expressive language, social/emotional, fine motor, gross motor)
    • Have a diagnosed condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay (examples include but are not limited to Down syndrome, hearing or visual impairment, failure to thrive, etc.)
    • Have demonstrated atypical development (examples include but are not limited to: unintelligible speech, feeding concerns, etc.)

Some early intervention services are provided at no cost to the family. These services include:

  • Activities and communication by the service coordinator assigned to the family to coordinate screening for eligibility determination, assessment for service planning, and development/review/monitoring of the Individualized Family Service Plan.
  • Assessments.
  • Transition planning for families as the child leaves ITC. This may include, but is not limited to, assistance in referral to public school preschool special education services and/or exploring community resources.

 

Once Eligible for Services

If your child is found eligible for ITC services, an evaluation is scheduled with your service coordinator and a team of therapists and a service plan is developed, including input from parents. The plan focuses on what parents want their child to accomplish and how activities in the family's everyday routines can be used to reach the specific goals of the child.

More information on the program will be provided at this time.

 

Related Videos

 

Other early intervention services may have a cost to families. Families have several options for paying early intervention fees in a manner that does not create a financial hardship. These options include using private insurance to cover some of the costs and using a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. 

For general information, visit Notice of Child and Family Rights and Safeguards Including Facts About Family Cost Share.

Families must complete a financial agreement before early intervention services begin so that they fully understand the charges and their responsibility for payment. Your service coordinator will explain in detail and discuss any questions you may have at your initial home visit.

Refer to the Welcome Book in English and Spanish for more information.

Pay your ITC bill by credit card, debit card or flexible spending card using Fairfax County online payment vendor, Virginia Interactive Payment System.

 

Families enrolled in ITC services who have questions about billing can contact Doctors' Choice Medical Services at 301-670-4250 (extension 708), TTY 711 or by email.

Following are some examples of Infant & Toddler of Fairfax-Falls Church (ITC) services for families:

  • Service Coordination

    Service Coordination is a mandated service under Part C of IDEA, provided at no cost to families. Service coordination is defined as an active, ongoing process that assists and enables families to access services and assures their rights and procedural safeguards.

    Service coordinators engage in service planning, coordination, and collaboration on behalf of children and families.

  • Occupational Therapy

    Occupational Therapists help a child develop skills to support their participation in the activities of their everyday life, and to care for themselves performing activities such as feeding, dressing, bathing and playing.

  • Physical Therapy

    Physical Therapists help a child develop his/her maximum potential for movement needed to access their daily environment and participate in functional activities.

  • Speech-Language Therapy

    Speech-Language Pathologists help a child develop skills to communicate his/her needs including addressing aspects of communication such as respiration, cognitive, receptive and expressive language, and verbal speech functions. A speech-language pathologist is also concerned with the swallowing function of a child for managing oral feeding.

  • Developmental Services/Infant Education

    Infant Educators/Developmental Specialists implement developmental activities to further a child’s cognitive, play, and communication skills to improve their opportunities for learning and maximizing thinking and learning skills.

  • Family Support and Counseling

    Family Support Counselors or Social Workers are concerned with the social welfare, social change and social justice for a child and family. They specifically address social and emotional development, challenging behaviors, and parent-child relationships. These staff are Licensed Clinical Mental Health Professionals.

  • Nutrition Services

    Nutritionists provide guidance to families in helping their child meet his/her nutritional needs to achieve their growth potential and maintain or improve their health status.

  • Vision and Hearing Services

    Vision and Hearing Support is provided to children who have diagnosed vision and/or hearing impairments. Developmental Specialists with specified training in these areas of concern are available as Early Intervention service providers.


All service providers are Certified Early Interventionists by the Virginia State Part C Office.

The family is part of the expert team that decides which early intervention services are needed for their child. Family involvement is very important because service providers work in partnership with families to support children's developmental progress. Early intervention services are provided in the child’s typical environment (home, child care, etc.) and in the context of the child and family’s daily activities.

 

Related Video

Make a Referral to Infant & Toddler Connection


Anyone can make a referral to ITC. 
 


Resources

Local Resources

Fairfax County Health Department

  • This county agency provides a variety of services including pediatric care, hearing testing, immunizations and speech and language services.

Fairfax County Early Childhood Programs and Services

  • This county agency provides assistance in locating child care centers and in-home providers. The website also has information about Head Start programs.

Fairfax County Public Schools Early Childhood Child Find Program

  • Evaluates and provides services to eligible children ages 2 - 21 who live in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax.

City of Falls Church Public Schools

  • Evaluates and provides services to eligible children with developmental delays ages 2 - 21 who live in the City of Falls Church. The main phone number is 703-248-5600. The Director of Special Education and Student Services phone number is 703-248-5630. TTY access through Virginia Relay 711.

The Arc of Northern Virginia

  • Provides information and referral services and advocacy for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Fairfax County Public Schools Family Resource Center (FRC)

  • Provides parent resources, workshops, clinician lists, lending library and more. Some resources and staff available in Spanish.

Inova Care Connection for Children 

  • Helps families coordinate community and education resources with medical expertise to ensure that children with special healthcare needs can reach their maximum potential.

Inova Parent Resource Directory 

  • Provides contact information and other service details about organizations dedicated to providing support and information to families of children with special healthcare needs, in the Metro DC area.

Ages and Stages Questionnaire

  • This page includes developing resources  of a screening and monitoring program, such as ASQ-3 and/or ASQ:SE-2. 

 

State Resources

Virginia Infant & Toddler Connection

  • This is the state agency responsible for the statewide system of services for children ages birth to 3. Their website includes information for families, physicians, and other professionals.

Arc of Virginia New Path Program

  • The Arc of Virginia's New Path program focuses on supporting families with children receiving Early Intervention services.

 

National Resources

Zero to Three

  • A national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

  • Informs families about the importance of high-quality early childhood education programs for young children.

 

* Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination in all county programs, services and activities. To request reasonable accommodations or to receive this information in an alternate format, call 703-246-7121 or TTY 711.

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