Early Intervention

Early Intervention provides supports and
services to families with infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities to reach their full potential

Families with infants and toddlers, age birth until 3 years, with developmental delays and disabilities can benefit from a state’s Early Intervention program. This is a system of supports and network of parents, coordinators, service providers, and others to promote the natural learning opportunities that occur within the daily routines of a child and their family. Early intervention services can include special instruction (teacher), occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, feeding, assistive technology, audiology, nursing, nutrition, social work and behavioral health services. Theraplay, Inc. is an experienced provider of special instruction, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy and feeding therapy services for early intervention.

What is Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers Ages Birth to 3 Years?

Services, supports and resources designed to help families enhance their child’s learning and development.

Early intervention services can include information about how children develop, parent or caregiver education, family supports, and developmental and instructional therapies through coaching that assist in child development and learning.

Early intervention builds upon the learning opportunities that occur naturally within the daily routines of a child and their family at home and in their community.

Services are provided in the child’s home, child care, and other community settings.

Services are “routine based” which means all services support the child in being a part of their family and community.

Families and caregivers are very important members of the early intervention team and are respected for their individual strengths, values and diversity.

All early intervention services are provided at no cost to the family, and are funded by the state.

Benefits of Early Intervention

The services and supports focus on the family and caregiver’s concerns and capacities in meeting their child’s unique developmental needs and enhances participation in their daily routines in their home and community settings.

Early interventionists work collaboratively with parents and caregivers to support their child within natural learning opportunities at home, child care setting and in the community.

Provides families and caregivers with information to better understand their child’s unique strengths and special needs in order to best support their child’s development, learning, building relationships, and participation in their home and community routines.

Enhances family’s ability to learn and better care for their child’s special needs early on through a coaching model.

Positive influences on child’s development in all areas and promotes continued skill development and function as child grows.

Child Development Areas of Focus

Early Intervention supports and services are designed to meet the unique developmental needs of each child with a developmental delay or special needs as well as the needs of the family related to one or more of the following developmental areas:

Cognitive development: Thinking, learning and problem solving.

Communication development: Talking, expressing themselves, and understanding.

Social and Emotional development: Interacting and building relationships with others.

Physical development (includes vision and hearing): Using hands, small and large muscles, and moving around.

Adaptive Development: Eating, dressing, toileting, and sleeping (taking care of self).