The Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) Intake and Enrollment (I&E) team will provide an overview of the application process for infants, toddlers, and early learners. We will discuss recent rule changes that have already reduced barriers to enrollment for many individuals, and will provide attendees with resources to take home or provide to clients.
Presented by
Benjamin Thomas
Intake & Enrollment Clinical Psychologist
DSHS - DDA
Dr. Thomas grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Child Psychology from West Virginia University. He lives in Olympia with his partner and two dogs. In March of 2023, he joined the Intake & Enrollment team as Clinical Psychologist where he uses his extensive knowledge and background as a psychologist in working toward the goal of ensuring equitable and fair access to Developmental Disability Services for all Washingtonians.
Gabrielle has over 15 years of experience providing direct supports and services to early learners with disabilities, and she has been working with DDA since May of 2023 as Pierce County's primary Case Resource Manager for children under the age of 4. Her education includes a Master's degree in Political Science with a focus on disability policy, ableism, and identity; and most recently, a Bachelor's in Education, focused on early learning and special education.
Doreen has been a Disability social worker for over 20 years and proud grad of EWU School of Social work (Go Eagles)! She lives with her family in Tacoma where she was born and raised. Her late daughter Demara was a DDA client and lived her life on wheels; she is her reason for showing up to work each day. She wants every person with disability to live their best life possible with the support they choose. She loves great food, swimming and being near the ocean, good conversation, and a good book.
Core Competency Area:
Families and Community Partnerships
Skill Level:
Fundamental
Presentation Outcomes:
This presentation will provide a clearer understanding of the DDA’s role in the lives of young children, and how families in need can access us. This is one of many ways we are hoping to connect with the community to improve understanding of what we can and cannot do to help children and families impacted by developmental disabilities. By attending, providers and parent advocates will better understand the circumstances in which a child should a) have services requested on their behalf, and b) re-enroll after aging out of ESIT services.
Our goal is to clarify the application process so that individuals that want or are in need of the support can access the DDA. We will accomplish this by devoting much of our presentation time covering the enrollment process in detail, including explaining the forms and documentation that must be submitted. We will also provide a quick overview of the separate process for requesting a service assessment.
With our discussion of the removal of IQ scores from the enrollment process and expanding the use of adaptive assessments and accepted diagnosticians, we will demonstrate to the public that the DDA is actively seeking ways to address inequity and reach more underserved people. Washington is the first state to remove IQ from its enrollment requirements to access developmental disability-related services. The state legislature and community members advocated that IQ is a historically discriminatory tool., By removing it from our enrollment requirements, we are forging a path towards more inclusive practices.
Attendees will leave the presentation with handouts, phone numbers, and websites relevant to each part of the presentation to support their learning.
Learning Objectives:
Understand what the DDA is and whom we serve.
Understand the role of Early Supports for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) providers in the application process for children under the age of 3, including ESIT’s part in helping children meet developmental milestones.
Know what forms and documentation we require during the enrollment process.
Know accepted diagnoses for DDA I&E purposes and the criteria of each
