NYC Early Intervention · Manhattan
Early Intervention in Manhattan
Free, family-centered Early Intervention for children ages 0–3 across Manhattan — from Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood to Morningside Heights. Care comes to you, at home or in your community.
Support for Manhattan's littlest learners
Manhattan toddlers grow up in small spaces and big neighborhoods — a one-bedroom in Washington Heights, a high-rise in Chelsea, a walk-up on the Lower East Side. You don't need a big apartment, a diagnosis, or a doctor's referral to get help when milestones feel late. New York's Early Intervention Program is free to families, and Star EIP, a New York State–approved agency, delivers it right in your home anywhere in Manhattan.
- $0 cost to families
- Birth to age 3
- In-home & community visits
- Bilingual clinicians
Neighborhoods we serve in Manhattan
Don't see your neighborhood? We serve all of Manhattan — reach out and we'll confirm coverage.
Early Intervention services in Manhattan
Service Coordination
A dedicated coordinator connects your family to the right evaluations, providers, and resources for your child's unique needs.
Occupational Therapy
Builds the daily-living and early academic skills children need to participate, play, and grow with confidence.
Physical Therapy
Strengthens coordination, balance, and mobility so children can move, explore, and reach motor milestones.
Special Education & ABA
Individualized learning support and evidence-based behavioral programs that meet each child where they are.
Speech Therapy
Helps children find their voice — developing communication, language, and feeding skills at their own pace.
Family Counseling
Compassionate guidance and support for families raising a child with developmental or special needs.
Getting started in Manhattan
Personalized Assessment
Eligibility is established through a no-cost developmental evaluation that looks at your child as a whole.
Active Participation
We build an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) together — families and professionals, side by side.
Graduate with Confidence
Services are delivered consistently, with six-month IFSP reviews that track real, measurable progress.
What home visits look like in Manhattan
In Manhattan, therapy fits your square footage. Early Intervention doesn't need a playroom — a corner of the living room rug is enough, and therapists are experts at turning what you already own into the day's materials. Visits work around Manhattan schedules, too: with your consent, sessions can include the nanny or caregiver who's with your child during the day, and goals like climbing, walking, and social play can be practiced where Manhattan kids actually practice them — at the playground down the block.
Care in your family's language
From Washington Heights and East Harlem to Chinatown, Manhattan's families speak far more than English at home. Our therapist network serves Manhattan families in languages including Spanish and Mandarin, and we prioritize matching your family with a clinician who speaks your home language whenever we can.
Helpful reading for Manhattan families
Early Intervention in Manhattan — FAQ
Is Early Intervention free in Manhattan? +
Yes. New York's Early Intervention Program is provided at no cost to families in Manhattan. Evaluations and therapy are covered — health insurance or Medicaid may be billed, but families never pay out of pocket.
Who qualifies for Early Intervention in Manhattan? +
Children from birth to age 3 who live in Manhattan and either have a diagnosed condition or show a developmental delay in communication, motor, social-emotional, cognitive, or adaptive skills. A free developmental evaluation determines eligibility.
How do I get an evaluation in Manhattan? +
Start a referral online or call us at 718-787-1023. Your referral is submitted to the NYC Early Intervention Program; once the Program accepts it and assigns your family to our agency, our team reaches out to arrange your child's no-cost developmental evaluation — usually in your own home in Manhattan.
What services are available in Manhattan? +
Speech, occupational, and physical therapy; special education and ABA; service coordination; and family counseling — delivered where your child is most comfortable, at home or in your community across Manhattan.
How soon can services start in Manhattan? +
After your child is found eligible and an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is built together with your family, services begin soon after — your service coordinator helps keep every step moving.
Do you serve Upper Manhattan — Washington Heights, Inwood, and Harlem? +
Yes. We serve all of Manhattan, from Inwood and Washington Heights down through Harlem to the Lower East Side and Battery Park City. Home visits mean your neighborhood is our office.
Our apartment is small. Is that a problem for home visits? +
Not at all. Early Intervention is designed for real homes, and therapists work in compact Manhattan apartments every day. Sessions use your child's own toys and daily routines — meals, dressing, play on the rug — so no extra space or equipment is required.
Can our nanny or babysitter be part of Early Intervention sessions? +
Yes, with your consent. Sessions work best when the adults your child spends the day with know the strategies too. Many Manhattan families schedule some visits for hours when a nanny or grandparent is home, and therapists are glad to coach them alongside you.
Start Early Intervention in Manhattan
Tell us about your child and we'll get your referral into the NYC Early Intervention Program. Once it's accepted and assigned to our agency, our team arranges your free evaluation anywhere in Manhattan.