Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services in Pennsylvania:
We can help your child in the following areas:
While all children grow and develop in unique ways, some children experience delays in their development. Children in Pennsylvania with developmental delays and disabilities benefit from a state supported collaboration among parents, service practitioners and others who work with young children. Pennsylvania’s Infant/Toddler Intervention program provides coaching support and services to families with children, from birth to age three, with developmental delays and disabilities. Early intervention builds upon the natural learning opportunities that occur within the daily routines of a child and their family.
Early Intervention supports and services enhance daily opportunities for learning provided in natural settings, provides families’ independence and competencies, and respects families’ strengths, values and diversity. Supports and services are designed to meet the developmental needs of children with a developmental delay or disability, as well as, the needs of the family related to enhancing the child’s development. Areas we work with your child on include physical (including vision and hearing), cognitive, communication, social/emotional and adaptive development.
Special Instruction
An Early Intervention Special Instructor (SI), formerly known as a ‘developmental therapist’ specializes in supporting and understanding the social, emotional and cognitive development of young children. SIs work to increase a young child’s learning opportunities to positively impact development. The SI coaches and teaches parents and caregivers, so that these experiences can extend throughout a child’s daily routine. Repetition of these opportunities is important in helping young children learn. A special instructor facilitates increasing play skills, helping children attend and participate in an adult directed activity, socializing with peers and adults, and help children with basic language acquisition. SIs can also support caregivers with sleep challenges and behavioral needs.
Special Instruction – Hearing
An Early Intervention Special Instructor – Hearing therapist specializes in supporting infants and toddlers with hearing differences. Our SI-Hearing therapists are certified TODs (teachers of the deaf) and bring many years of experience supporting children and families as they navigate communication options. SI-Hearing therapists utilize ASL (American Sign Language) as needed and present communication options without bias. The SI-Hearing therapist works to increase a child’s communication skills, utilizing the communication method chosen by the family, by coaching and teaching caregivers.
Special Instruction – Vision
An Early Intervention Special Instructor – Vision therapist specializes in supporting infants and toddlers with vision loss. Our SI-Vision therapists are certified TVIs (teachers of the visually impaired) and bring many years of experience supporting children and families as they help to adapt a child’s environment to address their vision needs. The SI-Vision therapist works to increase a child’s development, utilizing the visual assistance needed, by coaching and teaching caregivers in a child’s every day routines.
Social Work
An Early Intervention Social Worker is a licensed therapist who provides a variety of services that will assist children and their families. Social Workers provide family therapy, grief counseling, play therapy, and individual therapy. They also help and assist families locate and access community and governmental resources that will help the families in their community. These resources can be (and are not limited to include) assistance with obtaining food, housing, childcare, health care, and mental health care. Our Early intervention Social Workers can help with domestic needs and financial needs. They help families navigate legal and medical systems. They support families in processing a child diagnosis and navigating related resources.
Occupational Therapy
An Early Intervention Occupational Therapist (OT) specializes in promoting a child’s fine motor skills, self-regulation skills, and self-help skills. Our licensed OTs focus on helping children with sensory needs, behavioral challenges, feeding challenges, and sleep challenges. OTs utilize the coaching and teaching model in supporting families to meet their child’s unique needs.
Speech Therapy
An Early Intervention Speech Therapist (ST) specializes in increasing a child’s communication development. Our licensed STs focus on providing speech and communication strategies and interventions that will help with receptive and expressive language development. Our STs are knowledgeable about assistive technology to aid communication, and utilize the coaching and teaching model in supporting families to meet their child’s unique communication needs.
Physical Therapy
An Early Intervention Physical Therapist (PT) specializes in increasing a child’s gross motor skills. Our licensed PTs work on providing families strategies to help their child with gross motor skills, balance, movement, and transitional movements. These strategies will focus physical movements such as sitting, crawling, rolling, walking, jumping, trunk control, and arm movements. They may also assist in making recommendations/suggestions for adaptive equipment. Physical Therapists will utilize the coaching and teaching model in supporting families to meet their children’s unique physical needs.
