Turning 3 in Maryland's Infants and Toddlers Program: Your Transition Options

If your child is in Maryland’s Infants and Toddlers Program, their third birthday is a bigger milestone than it may look. It’s when early intervention traditionally ends and preschool special education through the public school system begins. Maryland also gives families a choice: the Extended IFSP Option, which can keep early intervention going longer.

This guide explains how the transition works, when it starts, what each option involves, and where private ABA therapy can fit. If you’re earlier in the process, our guide to getting started with ABA therapy in Maryland is a good place to begin.

A quick refresher: the Infants and Toddlers Program

The Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program is the state’s early intervention system for children from birth to age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. It works through local programs in every county and Baltimore City. Services focus on coaching parents and caregivers to help their child during everyday routines at home and in the community. They run year-round and are free to families.

If your child isn’t enrolled yet, you can request an evaluation by calling 1-800-535-0182 or using the program’s online referral site at referral.mditp.org. A diagnosis isn’t required.

When transition planning starts

Maryland’s early intervention regulations (COMAR 13A.13.01.09) set out a timeline:

• Around age 2: Transition outcomes are added to your child’s IFSP at the IFSP meeting closest to their second birthday.
• Between 9 months and 90 days before age 3: With your approval, the local program holds a transition planning meeting no later than 90 days before your child’s third birthday, and as early as 9 months before if everyone agrees. If your child may be eligible for preschool special education, a representative of your local school system attends with you and your service coordinator.
• Before age 3: If your child may be eligible, the local school system holds an IEP team meeting in time for eligibility to be decided before the third birthday. Your service coordinator generally takes part, unless you ask in writing that they not attend.

Late referrals have special rules. If a child is referred to Infants and Toddlers less than 45 days before their third birthday, the local program isn’t required to evaluate them. It refers the child, with parental consent, to the local school system instead.

Path 1: Preschool special education through an IEP

Preschool special education in Maryland serves children ages 3 through 5 who qualify under one of the state’s disability categories. Those include autism and developmental delay (ages 3 to 7). Services are provided through the local school system, which for our area means Howard County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City or Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

How it works:

• Child Find is the front door. Eligibility starts with a referral to your school system’s Child Find office. For children already in Infants and Toddlers, the transition process handles much of this.
• Evaluation and eligibility. You give consent before assessments. The IEP team, which includes you, reviews the results and decides eligibility. Under Maryland’s rules (COMAR 13A.05.01.06), the school system must complete the initial evaluation within 60 days of your consent for assessments, and within 90 days of receiving a written referral. If your child is found eligible, the IEP meeting is held within 30 days of that decision. For a child moving from Infants and Toddlers, the transition timeline above still applies.
• Services. An IEP can include specialized instruction and related services such as speech-language, occupational and physical therapy, delivered in the least restrictive environment. Services generally follow the school calendar. Some children qualify for extended school year services.
• Cost. Preschool special education is part of a free appropriate public education. It’s provided at no cost to families.

Path 2: The Extended IFSP Option

Maryland’s Extended IFSP Option lets families keep early intervention services through an IFSP after age 3, until the beginning of the school year following the child’s fourth birthday.

Who can choose it

The Extended IFSP has two requirements:

1. Your child and family must have a current IFSP through a local Infants and Toddlers Program, and
2. Your local school system must have found your child eligible for preschool special education and related services.

Because eligibility is decided before the third birthday, the IEP eligibility meeting still matters even if you plan to choose the Extended IFSP. If your child is found eligible, you give written consent either to continue under an Extended IFSP or to start preschool special education through an IEP.

What it includes

Under the Extended IFSP, services keep the family-centered early intervention model and keep running year-round. Maryland also requires an educational component that promotes school readiness, including pre-literacy, language and numeracy skills. A service coordinator continues to help coordinate services across agencies.

Cost

MSDE’s family guidance says parents are not charged for services under either the IFSP or the IEP option. With your consent, Medicaid may be billed for health-related services and case management. Private insurance may be billed for health-related services only when a child has both private insurance and Medicaid.

Changing your mind

You can end the Extended IFSP at any time and switch to preschool special education through an IEP by notifying your local Infants and Toddlers Program in writing. The school system then holds an IEP meeting within 45 days. Your child’s eligibility doesn’t have to be decided again. Once you choose the IEP, though, you can’t go back to the Extended IFSP. Early intervention continues until the IEP services begin, or until the beginning of the school year after the fourth birthday, whichever comes first.

The second transition

If you choose the Extended IFSP, there’s another transition later. Maryland’s rules call for a transition planning meeting between 9 months and 90 days before Extended IFSP services end, and an IEP meeting before the beginning of the school year following your child’s fourth birthday if you want to consider preschool special education.

Which path is right for your family?

Neither option is better for everyone. Some questions to raise with your service coordinator:

• Is your child getting the most from coaching at home, or are they ready for a classroom with other children?
• How much do year-round services matter to you, compared with a school-calendar schedule?
• What service models and settings does your local program or school system offer? MSDE notes these vary by jurisdiction.

Maryland requires local programs to give families an annual notice about the Extended IFSP Option. They must also explain community options and service delivery models under either path.

Where private ABA therapy fits

Infants and Toddlers and preschool special education are educational and developmental programs funded by the public system. ABA therapy for autism is usually a medical benefit paid by health insurance or Medicaid, based on a diagnosis and medical necessity. Because the funding is separate, families often use both. MSDE’s own guide to services for children up to age 5 notes that medical services can be used alongside early intervention or school services.

A few practical points:

• Diagnosis. Insurance- and Medicaid-funded ABA usually requires a formal autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Early intervention eligibility doesn’t. If your child hasn’t had a diagnostic evaluation, the age-3 transition is a good time to ask about one.
• Coverage. Maryland Medicaid covers medically necessary ABA for members under 21 through Carelon Behavioral Health Maryland, with prior authorization. Health plans subject to Maryland law must cover habilitative services, including ABA for autism, until at least the end of the month in which your child turns 19. See our guides to Maryland Medicaid and ABA and Maryland’s autism insurance mandate.
• No double billing. Maryland’s insurance law doesn’t require plans to pay for services delivered through early intervention or school programs. Private ABA is a separate service with its own plan and goals.
• Coordination. Share your child’s IFSP or IEP with the ABA team, so the behavior analyst’s goals support what your child is working on elsewhere rather than repeating it.

Starting early helps. Diagnostic evaluations, insurance verification and authorization all take time, and lining them up alongside the transition meetings gives your child the best chance of continuous support.

Getting started with Climbing Star in Maryland

Climbing Star’s Maryland practice, Climbing Star MD, is based in Elkridge and provides in-home ABA across Howard County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County. We verify your insurance or Medicaid benefits before services start and help with the prior-authorization paperwork. Treatment plans are designed and supervised by licensed behavior analysts, and trained behavior technicians deliver sessions under their supervision. The first step is a free consultation: call our Maryland line at (410) 670-5250 or start online.

Official sources

The rules in this article come from these official Maryland and federal sources (checked October 2026):

• MDH, Applied Behavior Analysis program page
• MDH, Maryland Medical Assistance Program ABA Provider Manual, effective Feb 1, 2026
• Md. Code, Insurance §15-835
• MSDE, Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program page
• MSDE, Understanding Service Delivery for Children Ages 0-5 Years
• COMAR 13A.13.01.09 (Infants and Toddlers: transition, Extended IFSP)
• COMAR 13A.05.01.06 (special education evaluation timelines)

This article is for general informational purposes and is not medical or legal advice. Coverage rules change; please verify your specific plan and consult qualified professionals about your child’s needs.