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Excerpt from historic bill AB691 |
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"In order to provide fixed points of referral in the
community for the mentally retarded and their families; establish
ongoing points of contact with the mentally retarded and their
families so that they may have a place of entry for services and
return as the need may appear; provide a link between the
mentally retarded and sources in the community, including state
departments, to the end that the mentally retarded and their
families may have access to the facilities best suited to them
throughout the life of the retarded person; and offer
alternatives to state hospital placement, it is the intent of
this article that a network of regional diagnostic, counseling,
and service centers for mentally retarded persons and their
families, easily accessible to every family, be established
throughout the state." |
Services
Regional centers provide or coordinate the
following services for individuals with developmental
disabilities and their families:
 | Information and referral |
| Assessment and diagnosis |
| Counseling |
| Lifelong
individualized planning and service coordination |
| Purchase
of necessary services included in the individual program plan |
| Assistance in finding and using community and other resources |
| Advocacy
for the protection of legal, civil and service rights |
| Early
intervention services for at risk infants and their families |
| Genetic
counseling |
| Family
support |
| Planning,
placement, and monitoring for 24-hour out-of-home care |
| Training
and educational opportunities for individuals and families |
| Community
education about developmental disabilities |
How is eligibiltiy defined
The term developmental disability refers to a
severe and chronic disability that is attributable to a mental or physical impairment. The disability must begin before
the 18th birthday, be expected to continue indefinitely and present a substantial disability. Also,
the disability must be due to one of
the following conditions:
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Mental retardation |
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Cerebral Palsy |
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Epilepsy |
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Autism |
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A disabling condition closely related to mental retardation or
requiring similar treatment. |
To be eligible for services funded by the California Department
of Developmental Services, individuals must have a developmental disability as defined in
Section 4512 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 4512 defines developmental
disability as:
"a disability which originates before an individual attains
age 18, continues, or can be expected to continue, indefinitely, and constitutes a substantial
disability for that individual. As defined by the Director of Developmental Services,
in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, this term shall include
mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. This term shall also
include disabling conditions found to be closely related to mental retardation or to require
treatment similar to that required for mentally retarded individuals, but shall not include
other handicapping conditions that are solely physical in nature."
Infants and toddlers (age 0 to 36 months) who are at risk of
becoming developmentally disabled or who have a developmental delay may also qualify for services. The
criteria for determining the eligibility of infants and toddlers is specified in Section 95014
of the California Government Code:
The term "eligible infant or toddler" for the purposes
of this title means infants and toddlers from birth through two years of age, for whom a need for
early intervention services, as specified in the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1471 et seq.) and applicable regulations, is documented by
means of assessment and evaluation as required in Sections 95016 and 95018 and who
meet one of the following criteria:
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Infants and toddlers with a developmental delay in one or
more of the
following five areas: cognitive development; physical and motor
development, including vision and hearing; communication development; social
or emotional development; or adaptive development. Developmentally delayed
infants and toddlers are those who are determined to have a significant
difference between the expected level of development for their age and their current
level of functioning. This determination shall be made by qualified
personnel who are recognized by, or part of, a multidisciplinary team, including
the parents.
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Infants and toddlers with established risk conditions, who
are infants and toddlers with conditions of known etiology or conditions with
established harmful developmental consequences. The conditions shall be
diagnosed by a qualified personnel recognized by, or part of, a multidisciplinary team, including
the parents. The condition shall be certified as having a high
probability of leading to developmental delay if the delay is not evident at the
time of diagnosis.
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Infants and toddlers who are at high risk of having
substantial developmental disability due to a combination of biomedical risk
factors, the presence of which is diagnosed by qualified clinicians recognized
by, or part of, a multidisciplinary team, including the parents.
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