2025-26 Annual Public Notice on
Screening and Evaluation for
Early Intervention Services
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Pennsylvania Act 212 (the Early Intervention System Act) entitle all preschool age children with disabilities to appropriate early intervention services. Young children experiencing developmental delays or physical or mental disabilities and in need of specially designed instruction to make educational progress are eligible for early intervention services. The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) Preschool Early Intervention Program services children who are three to five years old or school entry age.
The AIU uses the following procedures for locating, identifying, and evaluating specified needs of children ages three to five who require special programs or services and reside in suburban Allegheny County (outside of the City of Pittsburgh School District). These procedures are described in this notice as required by law.
Parents with concerns about their child may contact the AIU Preschool Early Intervention (PEI) Program at 412-394-5904 to schedule an appointment for screening. Developmental screenings are provided throughout Allegheny County throughout the year. When screening results suggest that a child has a developmental delay, the AIU Preschool Early Intervention Program will seek parental permission to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation through the Permission to Evaluate form which is accompanied by the Procedural Safeguards Notice. The Procedural Safeguards Notice describes the educational rights of the parent and child. The evaluation must be sufficient in scope and depth to provide information about the child’s strengths, needs, and overall development. After the evaluation is completed, an Evaluation Report will be compiled and include specific recommendations for the types of interventions necessary to deal with the child’s specific needs. This evaluation will be completed, and a report sent to the parents within 60 calendar days.
If the child has a delay of at least 25% of his/her chronological age in one or more developmental areas: cognitive, communication, physical, social-emotional, adaptive, vision, and hearing and needs specially designed instruction, an Individual Educational Program (IEP) will be developed for specialized services for the student within 30 calendar days. The IEP team will consist of the parents, special education teacher or therapist (e.g., speech-language therapist), regular education teacher, and local education agency representative, as well as other specialists as needed.
Prior to the initiation of services, parents will be presented with a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement which explains the services and placement recommendations, along with Procedural Safeguards that describes the parents’ rights and options if they disagree with the individualized program presented.
Parents of children between ages three to five who may warrant special services should call the Allegheny Intermediate Unit Preschool Early Intervention Program at 412-394-5904.
Confidentiality of Educational Records
The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) and its employees are required by Federal and State Law to protect the rights of children. The foundation of these rights comes from federal legislation entitled Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). The basic premise is that information about a child cannot be disclosed without written parental consent.
When a child enters AIU Preschool Early Intervention, an educational file is established. Parents have the right to access, inspect, and review his/her child’s file(s). The child’s educational record will be maintained for six years after the child has left early intervention. Directory information will be kept and may be maintained without time limitation.
Updated August 2025
Additional notices, reports, and disclosures are available on our compliance page.