Frequently Asked Questions

What Is EIDBI? Answers to What Families Ask Us Most

Choosing a therapy provider comes with a lot of questions. Here are honest answers to the ones we hear most often from Minnesota families considering Elite Services Center Inc.
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What Is EIDBI
What is EIDBI?

EIDBI stands for Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention, a Minnesota Health Care Programs benefit that provides evaluation and treatment services, including ABA therapy, for children with autism spectrum disorder or related developmental needs. It’s the funding program, not a therapy itself; see our Services overview for the EIDBI vs ABA explanation.

Want the fuller picture? EIDBI eligibility requires 4 things at once: a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or a related condition, medical necessity documented through a CMDE, enrollment in Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, TEFRA, or another qualifying Minnesota health care program, and being under age 21. EIDBI funds the CMDE evaluation, coordinated care conferences, family and caregiver training, treatment plan development, and the ongoing intervention itself, most often ABA.

EIDBI follows a clear sequence: referral, evaluation, medical necessity review, treatment planning, and then ongoing services.

  1. A family reaches out, with or without a diagnosis already in hand
  2. A CMDE evaluation is completed or transferred from another provider
  3. The state’s review agent or your health plan reviews the CMDE for medical necessity
  4. An Individual Treatment Plan is built from the evaluation results
  5. A coordinated care conference finalizes the plan with your family
  6. Services begin, most often ABA therapy, alongside speech, OT, or family training as needed

Each step has its own dedicated page if you want the full detail; this is the short version of how EIDBI actually works end to end.

Not necessarily. Many families begin with a referral or general concern rather than a formal diagnosis. Our CMDE evaluation process helps clarify what’s going on and whether EIDBI services are appropriate.

We primarily work with children from toddlers through school age, adjusting our programs as children grow and their needs change over time.

Session length varies by service type and by your child’s individualized plan, but most therapy sessions run between 45 minutes and a few hours, depending on the recommended weekly hours in your child’s treatment program.

Yes, in select cases. While we primarily deliver services in-center, in-home and telehealth support is available depending on your child’s needs and your family’s circumstances.

Reach out by phone or through our contact form. Our team will ask a few questions about your child, review any existing evaluations or referrals, and schedule a CMDE if one is needed.

We work with Minnesota Medical Assistance and a range of private insurance plans. Visit our Insurance & Payment page for details, or contact us directly to verify your specific plan.

Honestly, sources vary, and we won’t overstate this. Some descriptions of EIDBI describe it as combining several treatment modalities, including speech-language therapy, alongside ABA. Minnesota’s own list of core EIDBI services centers on evaluation, treatment planning, family training, coordinated care, and intervention, without always naming speech or occupational therapy as separately listed services.

In practice, at Elite Services Center Inc, speech therapy is coordinated as part of your child’s overall Individual Treatment Program, and how it’s billed depends on your specific plan. We verify this directly as part of your benefit verification rather than guessing. See our Speech Therapy and Insurance & Payment pages for more.

Availability varies depending on current enrollment and your child’s specific service needs. Our team will give you an honest, current estimate of timing when you reach out, rather than a generic promise.

If you’re researching autism therapy waitlist Minnesota timelines more broadly, wait times vary significantly by provider and by county, which is exactly why we recommend asking directly rather than assuming based on general information.

Let your care coordinator know as soon as possible. Our team will work with you to reschedule sessions where possible, based on therapist availability.

Yes. Coordinated care conferences often include school staff, with your consent, so that therapy goals and classroom expectations stay aligned.

Don’t see your question here? Call 612-298-2897. If it’s a common question, we’ll add it to this page.

Can multiple services be delivered on the same day?

In many cases, yes. Your child’s Individual Treatment Program may combine ABA, speech, occupational therapy, or other services, and our team schedules sessions to minimize the number of separate trips your family needs to make.

ABA therapy at Elite Services Center Inc is one-on-one, BCBA-led, and built from your child’s Individual Treatment Program. It typically combines structured teaching with natural environment teaching during play, targets communication, social skills, daily living skills, and reducing behaviors that interfere with learning, and includes parent training as part of the program.

For the full breakdown of what’s included in every ABA session, see our ABA Therapy page.

Every goal in your child’s treatment plan is tracked with objective data collected during sessions, which we review regularly with families so progress is measured with evidence, not just general impressions.

Still have a question?

If you didn’t find your answer here, our team is happy to walk through your specific situation directly.