Early intervention can significantly improve outcomes for children, both in education and throughout their lives. Developed in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Early Intervention and Special Education Services, pediatricians, and other early childhood experts, the Online Referral Tool (ORT) is a fully encrypted, web-based application used to submit and track referrals of children ages 0–3 with developmental delays to local Infants and Toddlers programs.
Because the ORT is seamlessly integrated with the Maryland Online Individualized Family Service Plan System, users are able to track when referrals are opened, read, and acted upon by Infants and Toddlers providers.
The system emails the referral source to alert them if an issue has occurred — such as incorrect contact information — that has prevented local programs from moving forward with the referral.
With the consent of a child’s family, the system can provide additional feedback to the referral source — such as the result of an eligibility determination, or whether or not the family has agreed to participate in services if the child is considered eligible.
Users can also create and download reports to allow them to view their referral trends over time.
Email Cecilia Leger for more information.
