Early Intervention
The following information is taken from the booklet "A Family's Introduction to Early Intervention in Pennsylvania" and is designed to answer concerns that you may have about a child’s development and eligibility for Early Intervention Services.
When you think of your child and how he or she is growing, you notice things like how soon he or she smiles, sits up, rolls over, or how well he or she walks, talks, holds a spoon, and feeds himself or herself. Children learn naturally during this time, by doing, by watching you and/or other children, and by being taught how to do different things. Because you know your child so well, you might notice that he or she is growing or developing differently than a cousin, brother or sister at that age. What you are noticing are changes in different developmental areas. The five primary developmental areas are:
Ability to move, see, and hear-physical development
Early Intervention Services are developed to assist families with the everyday and natural routines of their lives. To qualify a child must have a 25% delay in an area of development, or a specified diagnosis. Specific services can include Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy, as well as Special Needs Instruction. Early Intervention Services are authorized through the Office of Child Development which is funded by the Commonwealth through individual Mental Health/Mental Retardation County programs. These services are for families with children from birth to three years of age.
Pediatric & Adult Therapy Services is one of many providers of Early Intervention Services in Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Luzerne, Wyoming, and Schuylkill Counties. Should you have any questions regarding your child’s development or how you can access Early Intervention, you may utilize the www.state.pa.us/child/Earlyintervention website or contact us.
