Intake & Eligibility - Where to begin?
In order to receive services from DCBDD, the person needing support must live in Delaware County and meet the eligibility criteria established by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
- For children under three years old, Help Me Grow offers the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Online screening for Ohio families to help parents understand how their child is developing and whether there are any concerns. This developmental screening is free, short, and easy to complete. Click here to start the ASQ screening.
- If you’d like to contact Help Me Grow directly, call the Help Me Grow Referral Line at 800.755.4769 or complete their Referral for Services form.
- For individuals three years of age and older, you can begin the process by contacting DCBDD’s Intake & Eligibility Department at 740.201.3601 or Intake.Eligibility@dcbdd.org.
To Schedule an appointment with Intake & Eligibility:
Call 740.201.3601
Or Email Intake.Eligibility@dcbdd.org
What are the steps to determining eligibility?
Step 1:
Diagnosis Verification
A developmental disability is defined in Ohio Administrative Rule 5123-4-01 as a severe, chronic disability that:
- Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or a combination of mental and physical impairments, other than a mental or physical impairment solely caused by mental illness; and
- Manifested before the age of 22; and
- Is likely to continue indefinitely; and
- Results in a substantial functional limitation in at least three of the following areas of major life activity, as appropriate for the person’s age: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and, if the person is age sixteen or older, capacity for economic self-sufficiency; and
- Causes the person to need a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or other type of care, treatment, or provision of services for an extended period of time that is individually planned and coordinated for the person
Step 2:
Administration of Determination Instrument/Assessments
Eligibility criteria varies by age. Please click on the age groups below to determine eligibility requirements.
For children under 3 years of age, eligibility is based on at least one of the following:
- Diagnosis
- Delay based on the score of the Battelle Early learning Inventory-II
- Informed Clinical Opinion
Help Me Grow offers the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Online screening for Ohio families to help parents understand how their child is developing and whether there are any concerns. This developmental screening is free, short, and easy to complete. Click here to start the ASQ screening.
If you’d like to contact Help Me Grow directly, please call 800.755.4769 or complete their Referral for Services form.
For children between the ages of three and five, eligibility is based on assessment results showing developmental delays in at least two of the following areas:
- adaptive behavior
- communication
- physical development
- learning
- social-emotional functioning
Eligibility must be redetermined at the age of six or if circumstances suggest a person may have experienced a significant change of condition.
A child who is between six years of age through 15 years of age is eligible for services if they meet the following criteria:
- Has been diagnosed with a developmental disability (as defined by Ohio Administrative Rule 5123-4-01) by a qualified professional; and
- Is determined to have at least three functional limitations based on the results of the Children’s Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (COEDI). The areas that will be assessed are:
- Self-Care: Skills such as bathing, toileting, dressing, eating, etc.
- Communication: Skills in the areas of receptive and expressive communication
- Mobility: How well the child moves about in their environment
- Learning: The child’s ability to read, time telling, count money, etc.
- Self-Direction: The child’s ability to make age appropriate decisions and understand cause and effect
- Capacity for Independent Living: The child’s ability to do daily living tasks at an age appropriate level such as make a snack, operate a television or microwave, take dirty dishes to sink, etc.
Eligibility must be redetermined at the age of sixteen or if circumstances suggest a person may have experienced a significant change of condition.
An individual over the age of 16 is eligible for services if they meet the following criteria:
- Has been diagnosed with a developmental disability (as defined by Ohio Administrative Rule 5123-4-01) by a qualified professional; and
- Is determined to have at least three functional limitations based on the results of the Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (OEDI) The areas that will be assessed are:
- Self-Care: Skills such as bathing, toileting, dressing, eating, etc.
- Communication: Skills in the areas of receptive and expressive communication
- Mobility: How well the individual moves about in their environment
- Learning: The individual’s ability to read, time telling, count money, etc.
- Self-Direction: The individual’s ability to make age appropriate decisions and understand cause and effect
- Capacity for Independent Living: The individual’s ability to do daily living tasks at an age appropriate level such as make a snack, operate a television or microwave, take dirty dishes to sink, etc.
- Economic Self-Sufficiency: The individual’s ability to work and manage their finances
Eligibility may be reviewed if circumstances suggest a person may have experienced a significant change of condition.
Step 3:
For persons ages three and older, please complete the
Application for Services
Our Intake & Referral Specialists will review your application and may request additional documentation to determine if you or your loved one is eligible for services.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is eligibility determined?
Eligibility will be determined within 45 calendar days after all the required information has been received.
What happens if I am found eligible?
Once a person is determined to be eligible for services, they will be linked with the appropriate department to help them get connected with resources to address their needs – Early Intervention for birth through age 2, Family Support Services or Service & Support Administration for ages 3 through adulthood.
When is eligibility redetermined?
Eligibility must be redetermined at ages 3, 6, 16, or if circumstances suggest a person may have experienced a significant change of condition.
What if I have more questions about eligibility?
For questions regarding eligibility for children birth through age two, please call the Toll-Free Help Me Grow Referral Line at 800.755.4769. For more information, click here.
For questions regarding eligibility for individuals three years of age and older, please contact DCBDD’s Intake and Eligibility department at Intake.Eligibility@dcbdd.org, or by phone at 740.201.3601.
For additional information regarding eligibility, please refer to the Eligibility Policy.