Early InterventionMost parents don't even know what Early Intervention is. I didn't. When I had my first son, Hilo, I had no idea what to do when he wasn't saying any words by age two. I've said many times before that I am a believer in letting children in development in their own time, relative to milestones. However, by age 2, I knew something was up. But what could I do about it? I'd literally never heard of anything from the doctors office or WIC or anywhere of what to do if my child hadn't reached a milestone. I had to Google it! Google. That's what I did, and I stumbled upon an online questionnaire from Early Intervention to see if my child would qualify for services. He did. Early Intervention is a service that is offered to families of children, under the age of three, who have developmental delays, birth defects, or disabilities. Anything from feeding tubes, clubbed feet, premature birth, Down syndrome, and speech delay can have a child qualify for services. (Each state offers from version of the program of Early Intervention though the name might not exactly be the same, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requiring each state and territory to offer it.) Services offered through Early Intervention range into many categories like nutrition to direct therapies, to assistive technology, to medical or nursing services depending on need. It is a program built on families, not just the affected child. They use many ideas, activities and offer support to the entire family. So not only do they help the child reach their goals, but they offer guidance to the family to help the child achieve such goals. It is a valuable resource to child and parent alike. Evaluations for services offered through Early Intervention are free of charge. What is a Delay?Obviously I am not assuming you don't know what a freakin' delay is. But do you know the milestones? Do you know when it constitutes as a delay? Each state has their own guidelines as to what they consider a developmental delay since it is such a broad term. It's important to know, in your own state, what is a delay. Below I'll provide a link so you can check it out! These are the five areas in which a child will be evaluated in terms of development: Cognitive development Physical development, including vision and hearing Communication development Social or emotional development Adaptive development Once a delay is determined or a disability is established, you will be referred to be accepted into their program. It is all based on parental consent. You do not have to get services from Early Intervention if you do not want. Many experts in developmental areas give the evaluations, so they do know if a child would benefit from services or not. Keep their expertise in mind when deciding if you want to use the program. We benefited a lot, and the interventionist offered companionship to me too, as a special needs mother unsure what to do with my child. Note: This is a state funded program. It is free of charge to parents. What To Expect from EIOnce you've accepted Early Intervention (EI) services, you will schedule meetings to write something called an IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan). It basically outlines the "plan" for the family and EI to base services off of. It will outline certain goals that the family (i.e. parents) and the therapist think appropriate for the child within a set amount of time ( 6 months or 1 year). This plan is written by a group of therapists, social workers (if involved), case managers, respite care providers, family members, direct therapists (if available) to come up with achievable goals and make everyone else aware of what direction the family wants to head. After the IFSP is written and formed, parents must be given the plan, explained every piece of the plan, and eventually, if understood and accepted, initial by each section to accept the services offered. An IFSP must be completed within 45 days of the screening or evaluation, if services are needed and accepted by the parents. It is important for the time frame to be quick since lost time in the younger years can amount of significant difference. After all these loopholes are filled, and jumped through, services can begin. It can be on a biweekly, weekly, bimonthly, or monthly schedule. It is all up to the child's need and the families preference. If more services are needed, you can always add more, and likewise if they aren't needed as often, services can be declined. This is all based on the family's preference. Sessions with EI are typically a 30 minutes, and can last as long as an hour. It will consist of the family notifying them of doctor appointment, health changes, any meetings concerning the child, plus what the parent has seen in the home or at daycare. The interventionist will then interact with the child and make their own observations and recommendations to achieve the set goals. Concerns after age 3?After age three, the public school system takes over Early Intervention children if services are still needed. Contact your local school and ask to speak about your child being evaluated. Even if they are not old enough for kindergarten, schools do offer earlier services to children in need. My own son receives preschool (on his second year) in a special ASD classroom. Again this evaluation is free to the parents. The state or federally funded programs pay for the evaluation to be done. The evaluation is done similarly to Early Intervention. The school has their own specialists on staff to observe and evaluate children. A group will be assigned to your child, and shall be given specific sessions to be evaluated with these professionals. They will test all abilities, not just in concerned areas. Do not fret. If a parent reports they are able to do it, the school takes that in consideration. It is their jobs to completely evaluate a child to develop a plan to better the child. A Word To ParentsYou should not be ashamed to get help. If your child isn't developing typically, they will need services. Children who are often ignored or passed over can have horrible school experiences and be left behind by their peers because of skills they have not yet developed. Early Intervention is important to the future of a child. As a parent, I believe, we all want what's best. I once was afraid. I was embarrassed. Deinal is probably what it was. I wasn't ready to have a child with autism, who needed special education. I've been there. I felt what you feel, too. Every parent has. But, I had to swallow my pride, because I knew that if I let my own problems block my child from succeeding in life, I'd never forgive myself. It wasn't about me, or what people would say. My son deserved help, and needed it. Now, I have to say, he's a remarkable, smart child. His speech has improved drastically. He's becoming more and more socially aware. We are learning ways to cope with stresses and stims or behaviors. If we hadn't gotten Early Intervention, Hilo would be significantly behind his peers. Now he's progressing towards typical developmental skills. Early Intervention changed his life. And ours.
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AuthorGabrielle Rae is a special needs, stay at home mommy of two boys. She enjoys reading and writing novels in her spare time. @onbothfrontsArchives
August 2018
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