Due to high referral rates, whilst patients are waiting for an evaluation we recommend you support them with the following:
If your patient is under age of the 3: Refer to their local Early Intervention (EI) agency if they are not currently enrolled in EI: https://www.massfamilyties.org/#EI
If your patient is 3 years or older and not yet enrolled in school: Assist the family with requesting a special education evaluation through their public school system. Having a child evaluated by their school system is an imperative and time-sensitive step. The following link will provide you with useful information for requesting a special education evaluation that can be used to advocate for your patient and provided to parents/caregivers.
The following link is for Boston schools but is applicable to other school districts: All Boston (and you!) Can Do For Your Child (ABCD) - English
This packet is also available in Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese
All Boston (and you!) Can Do For Your Child (ABCD) - Spanish
All Boston (and you!) Can Do For Your Child (ABCD) - Haitian Creole
All Boston (and you!) Can Do For Your Child (ABCD) - Portuguese
If your patient is 3 years or older and already enrolled in school: ensure they have received a special education evaluation and are receiving all services that they are deemed eligible for through an IEP or a 504 plan.
If your patient is in need of behavioral health/therapy services: we recommend making a referral to psychiatry and ensuring your patient receives appropriate behavioral health supports. If your patient has MassHealth, and would benefit from in-home or outpatient therapy services, please make a referral by using the following search engines: