Each year, our Toddler and Primary rooms, along with the parents of these students, complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire screening tool. This screening offers a glimpse into the development of children.
According to the Ages and Stages website “Screening young children is an effective, efficient way for professionals to check a child’s development, help parents celebrate their child’s milestones and know what to look for next, and determine whether follow-up steps are needed. It’s also an essential first step toward identifying children with delays or disorders in the critical early years, before they start elementary school.”
Identifying delays early allows other experts to be involved in your child’s life by offering appropriate therapies to help the child. Early intervention services for children create individual plans for children to help the child reach milestones.
Through our years of offering services to children, we have worked with many families who have received and benefited from early intervention services. Early intervention in Illinois is a statewide program that provides supports and services for families to help their children under age 3 meet developmental milestones. Services may include speech, developmental, physical or occupational therapy, audiology services, or nutrition services.
While early intervention services are only available until your child turns 3, you can talk with your child’s doctor about a referral for additional services through your private insurance at any age. Many therapy clinics even offer complementary screenings for speech, physical, and occupational therapy without a doctor’s referral to help you determine if a full evaluation may be needed. Additionally, you can contact the school district in which you reside to learn about what early childhood education programs they offer for children starting at age 3 and if your child may be eligible for additional therapy services or educational supports through these programs.
While early intervention services are only available until your child turns 3, you can talk with your child’s doctor about a referral for additional services through your private insurance at any age. Many therapy clinics even offer complementary screenings for speech, physical, and occupational therapy without a doctor’s referral to help you determine if a full evaluation may be needed. Additionally, you can contact the school district in which you reside to learn about what early childhood education programs they offer for children starting at age 3 and if your child may be eligible for additional therapy services or educational supports through these programs.
Please click on this link to learn more about the benefits of early action when you have developmental concerns.
