Eligibility Information
How do you know if you're eligible for services?
If you wish to receive services, we will need to determine if you are eligible. In the State of Ohio, the guidelines for eligibility depend on the age of the individual.
For any TuscBDD service, an individual must reside in Tuscarawas County.
Ages 0 to 3
Early Intervention Services are provided to families of children up to the age of three who exhibit delays in development or who may be at risk for delays in development due to medical complications or environmental factors. To determine if you are eligible, contact Help Me Grow at (330) 339-3493.
Ages 3 to 5
Each school district determines whether a student is eligible for admission into the district's pre-school program. If at least two delays are noted in the Evaluation Team Report (ETR) completed by the child's school district, or through a medical evaluation, the child is also eligible for TuscBDD services. Please contact TuscBDD.
Ages 6 and Above
An individual who is 6 years of age or above is eligible for our services if he or she meets the following criteria:
- Has a diagnosis of a developmental disability. A qualified professional must make the diagnosis. A report(s) must be submitted verifying the diagnosis.
- Has a diagnosis that is expected to be a lifelong disability.
- Has a parent or legal guardian who must give permission for the eligibility determination instrument to be completed with the child.
- Three areas in which support is needed is noted. Areas of support include the following:
Self Care: skills in the areas of bathing, toileting, dressing, eating, etc. are considered.
Communication: skills in the areas of receptive and expressive communication are reviewed.
Mobility: the child's walking and moving about in the environment are reviewed.
Learning/Cognition: the child's skills in reading, time telling, money skills, etc. are explored.
Self-Direction: the child's ability to make age-appropriate decisions and understand cause and effect are considered.
Capacity for Independent Living: the child's ability to do daily living tasks at an age-appropriate level such as making a sandwich, operating a television set, taking dirty dishes to sink, etc. is reviewed.
Economic Proficiency: the individual's earning ability, benefit status, and vocational skills are considered.
According to the To be eligible for services, the individual must show deficits in three of the seven areas of the Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (OEDI) / the Children's OEDI (COEDI).
If the individual is eligible, DD staff will make referrals for requested services. If the individual is NOT eligible, staff will assist the parent/legal guardian in identifying other services to assist them.
Eligibility FAQ
1. Can an individual be determined eligible after the age of 22?
Yes. However, it must be established that the person's disability existed before the age of 22.
2. How do I start the eligibility determination process?
The eligibility determination process can be started by contacting Beth Starkey, the Introduction and Eligibility Service & Support Administrator, by phone at (330) 308-7172 or email at bstarkey@tuscbdd.org and expressing a desire to have a determination completed.
3. What documentation needs to be provided in order to support an eligibility determination?
Must provide documentation from a licensed clinician to confirm a qualifying diagnosis. Other documentation may be requested such as an IEP and ETR from the local school district, psychological evaluation, medical evaluation, or other relevant information.
4. Does the County Board of DD pay for psychological evaluations to be completed as part of the determination process?
No. It is the responsibility of the individual and their support's to provide the needed documentation of a qualifying diagnosis.
5. The Social Security Administration had a psychological evaluation completed to establish benefits. Can that psychological report be used?
If the psychological report in question has been completed in the past two years it may be used. However, most psychological reports completed by the Social Security Administration are their property as they have paid for the evaluation to be completed. It is the individual or their support's responsibility to contact Social Security and request a copy.
6. Is a person ever automatically eligible for services due to having a specific qualifying diagnosis?
No. Regardless of any qualifying diagnosis, the eligibility process must still completed. If an individual does not have the three substantial functional limitations required they will not be eligible regardless of a given diagnosis.
Eligibility Brochure Elegibilidad de Apoyo