Does Your Child Need Early Intervention?

Soon after birth, your child will show off her personality and develop skills such as briefly gazing at objects, communicating that she wants to be held, and fussing to be fed. Although children develop at their own pace, most achieve certain milestones – crawling, walking, saying first words – at around the same age. When children are not reaching expected milestones and are showing significantly delayed development, parents may worry. Suspecting a "delay" is scary, but there may not always be a problem.

If there is a problem, early intervention (EI) services are available to help a child who may have trouble reaching certain milestones. Early intervention

 means using "therapy services to enhance a child's ability to interact with others and the environment; these everyday experiences and interactions are essential for optimal child development," says Anne Zachry, Ph.D., assistant professor of occupational therapy at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and author of Retro Baby. In 1986 the U.S. Congress mandated an Early Intervention Program (EIP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support children's development with funding for all 50 states.

EIP services are usually free and available for children under 3 years old who are suspected of having developmental (physical, cognitive, language)