For High Risk Infants and Toddlers
• If your child is 0-36 months, contact First Steps BabyNet toll-free at 1-877-621-0865

For Individuals Ages Three and Above
• Call the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (SCDDSN) for eligibility screening, toll-free at 1-800-289-7012 regarding Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and Qualified Related Disabilities. The Toll Free number is available from 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

OR

You may now request services on line by visiting www.ddsn.sc.gov/apply which is available at your convenience.

When Requesting services online or by phone, you will need the following information at hand:
• Full Name
• Date of Birth
• Last 4 digits of the applicant’s Social Security Number
• Home Address
• Telephone Number
• Email Address, if available

Each individual’s circumstances differ widely; therefore, eligibility requirements are varied.

The following eligibility guidelines are by no means complete, but provide a general overview of some of the requirements that must be met in order to receive services:

High Risk Infants (Ages 0-3)

Extreme prematurity with severe medical problems such as encephalopathy
Documented neurological impairment
Medical diagnosis of a condition or genetic disorder related to intellectual development

At-Risk Child (Ages 3-6)

Medical diagnosis with some delays such as cerebral palsy
Significant, documented delays in at least three developmental areas such as receptive language, expressive language, self-help

Intellectual Development Disability

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of 70 or below – dependent upon testing factors
Adaptive behavior quotient of 70 or below – dependent upon testing factors
Documentation of the onset of intellectual developmental disability before the age of 18

Related Disabilities

Severe chronic conditions closely related to but not intellectual developmental disability, requiring similar services (such as cerebral palsy, but not ADHD or a learning disability)
Documentation of onset before age 22
Likely to continue indefinitely

Autism (considered a related disability for purposes of eligibility)

Diagnosis of autism or autistic disorder. The individual must also meet the cutoff score on one or more autism-specific screening tools
Deficits in the areas of socialization and communicating with others
Characteristics, in varying degrees, noticeable before the age of 3

Head Injury (HASCI)

Medically documented traumatic head injury that is not progressive or not due to dementia caused by brain damage as a result of alcohol abuse or aging
Substantial functional limitations such as self-care, communication, mobility, independence and self-sufficiency
Likely to continue indefinitely

Spinal Cord Injury (HASCI)

Medically documented spinal cord injury that is traumatic in origin
Substantial functional limitations such as self-care, communication, mobility, independence and self-sufficiency
Likely to continue indefinitely