Early Childhood Intervention Therapy
Early Intervention services are dedicated to assisting babies and toddlers ages 0-3 that are behind in any area of development. Some children are developmentally delayed while others are at risk of becoming delayed. Early intervention services are meant to help a child reach their fullest potential, and to catch up if delayed, by the time they turn 3 years old. Our Pediatric Occupational Therapists and Pediatric Speech and Language Therapists are trained in early childhood development and are prepared with the tools to help each child speed up their develop in a very individualized way.
Children we help in this age range often have delays due to premature birth, regulation difficulties due to being exposed to drugs in utero, feeding concerns, sensory issues, early signs of autism, and/or high or low muscle tone affecting their early motor milestones.
The focus of therapy is individualized to each child and assists with social, communication, motor, adaptive, emotional and/or cognitive development.
Early intervention is critical in an infant and toddler’s learning of age-appropriate development, especially in children demonstrating some form of delay in early childhood development. The sooner the child is in front of licensed professionals, the faster they are expected to learn, grow and thrive. Early intervention can include one, some or all of the following specialties: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Feeding Therapy. The goal in each of these therapies is to promote learning and advancement in order to acquire age-appropriate skills. Many parents have improved outlooks because they are more informed and more equipped with the skills for helping their child grow.
We believe that a parent knows their child best. If you feel like your child may need services, review our checklist or give us a call to schedule an assessment.
Early Intervention Symptom Checklist for Children Ages Birth – 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Early childhood intervention involves a professional assessing how your child is learning as a whole before the age of three. Pediatric early intervention is often the first step toward narrowing down which specific services your child may need. While there are programs local government agencies provide, there are numerous differences and benefits in how we provide our private Early Childhood Intervention services to children under the age of three.
We are not limited to government funds, when it comes to giving your child the best support to make the most gains. We are able to work directly with your child and teach you at the same time, so you can continue to help your child thrive everyday at home. Parent training is key with this age group. Our standardized tests help us determine when therapy services are warranted. Services recommended can involve just a few parent consultations and then you are on your way, or several sessions per week of individualized care, on an ongoing basis. Whatever plan is decided, is determined in collaboration with the therapist and the parents.
The early years of a child’s life are very important for later health and development. One of the main reasons is how fast the brain grows starting before birth and continuing into early childhood. Early motor milestones are very important for young children to achieve, as they are the building blocks for higher level skills to be achieved once they get into school. For example, when a child skips the crawling phase and goes right to standing, they don’t have the chance to build their back, neck, hand and eye muscles to sit upright in a chair with good muscle endurance, in order to have good attention, posture and handwriting when in school.
Pediatric Potentials, Inc. provides direct therapy with a licensed Orlando therapist that is an expert in the treatment of your child’s needs. With Early Steps, your child will be assigned to a team lead that will coach you as a parent in order to treat your child. This team lead may or may not specialize in the area in which your child needs help. These services are also done in your home, where our services take place in our specialized therapy clinic or occasionally at your child’s daycare. At the end of every session at Pediatric Potentials, Inc. you will consult with your child’s therapist. The therapist will go over activities to help your child at home and answer any questions you may have. Unlike the Early Steps program, your child will not age out of our services on their 3rd birthday. We work diligently with your child until their goals are met and our services are no longer needed.
No. Although Early Steps can be a good resource, many families choose to bypass Early Steps and seek clinic-based services. These families are seeking one or more of the following: shorter turnaround times to get started; more interventions; more intense sessions per week, longer sessions each time, more hands-on care with an expert in each field, and/or more rapid results.
When children 0-3 years of age qualify for Early Steps services, they are being provided free therapy through the state to help them gain the skills needed to be at age level by the time they turn three. Early Steps support is a consultation-based service from one type of service provider, even if your child would benefit from multiple therapies. Some parents may choose to add in our specialized hands-on therapy to maximize their child’s gains. It is easier to qualify for private therapy services when paying out of pocket, as we are not limited by a funding source, so if you don’t qualify for Early Steps, it doesn’t mean you don’t qualify for private Occupational or Speech and Language Therapy. Feel free to call us for more information or to help guide you.