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Reasons for action: Early identification of problems during the crucial developmental years of birth to age five makes it possible to address problems while a child's brain, body, and behavior are most malleable and before the problems become overwhelming.
Click here to view additional Rationale or Evidence of Effectiveness.
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Health care providers screen children systematically and regularly, using proven screening instruments, to identify infants and young children who are at biological risk of poor outcomes and those who are at risk of or experiencing developmental delays. Providers follow positive screening results with detailed assessments. They provide or link families to early intervention, therapeutic, and remedial services as needed.
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| The Hawaii HealthyStart program’s process for identifying at-risk families of newborns begins at hospital registration. Targeted families receive home visits to screen for developmental delays, assess parent-child interactions, and ensure that families have a pediatric primary care provider.
The Family, Infant and Toddler Program of the Vermont Department of Health is a family-centered, coordinated system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have delayed development or a health condition that delay development and their families. The program links families with public and private agencies, parent child centers, local school districts, health care practitioners, private therapists, and child care providers. Services and supports are provided in the most convenient and natural places for the family and child, including the home, child care setting, and community play group. http://www.dcf.state.vt.us/cdd/programs/prevention/fitp/index.html | |
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Providers of child care, family support, and early education recognize their role in identifying infants and young children who are at biological risk of poor outcomes, are experiencing developmental delays, or have relationships with parents that do not support developmental progress. Providers enlist health, mental health, and developmental consultants and children's primary health care providers in making judgments about individual children. They provide or link families to early intervention, therapeutic, and remedial services as needed.
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| The Maryland Family Support Centers Network aim to catch developmental delays early in a child’s life and provide individualized follow-up. Infants and toddlers are assessed through standardized testing and daily observation; those with delays are referred to the state’s Early Intervention Program for further evaluation. | |
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Health care providers are prepared to intervene at the earliest possible moment to provide support and services to at-risk infants and their families.
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| Under the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (a model of care for infants in neonatal intensive care units in multiple sites), developmental specialists observe the infants to assess signals of stability and stress. Professional caregivers work with family members to develop a plan for nurturing and interacting with each infant based on those observations and the infant’s physical condition and health. Caregivers are trained to recognize the infant’s communication and respond appropriately. | |
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Local coalitions ensure the availability of targeted screening and monitoring programs, including those established under Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT).
Local coalitions work to expand public funding for early intervention services.
Local coalitions monitor programs and outcomes for an entire population, neighborhood, or community. They scan what is available to serve and support children and families at biological risk of poor outcomes and what is missing in terms of child care, family support, youth development, housing, neighborhood safety, and other essential services and supports. They take steps to fill in the gaps.
Local coalitions work with residents and agencies to keep funders and policymakers informed of barriers to effective action that require solutions at the funding, policy, or regulatory level.
Funders seek to expand public and private resources that support screening, diagnosis, and early intervention services for children at biological risk or experiencing developmental delays. Funders support training for professionals who provide early intervention services and supports.
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| The Center for Program Excellence of Zero to Three holds monthly training sessions on early intervention for service providers and families of infants and toddlers with special needs in the Washington, DC area. Training topics include sensory integration, understanding Part C services, cultural reciprocity, and building and strengthening family/provider partnerships. www.zerotothree.org/ztt_parents.html | |
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Policymakers seek to remove or reduce barriers to effective action that require solutions at the funding, policy, or regulatory level. They support full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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| Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds competitive federal grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to help states and local communities make systemic changes that will improve results for children, youth, and families from birth through age 21. As of January 1, 2003, there were about 290 early childhood projects nationwide, including model demonstrations, research and training institutes, in-service and pre-service training, outreach, and technical assistance. These projects are generating new knowledge and practices involving service-delivery mechanisms that promote family involvement and are responsive to the changing needs of diverse populations of young children with special needs and their families. www.ectac.org/ecprojects/ecproj.asp | |
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