1. By Andriana Delgado

2. Is my baby developing normally? Can he see or ear me? Why isn't he walking or crawling? Who do I go to? Where do I get help?

3. Many parents are unaware that there is help out their for their family and children. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is a system that helps children with developmental disabilities or delays. The sooner a child receives intervention the better chance they have at creating a foundation for further development.

4.  First things first a referral from a parent or physician  Then an Evaluation in a ECI program  The evaluation will then determine what services will be available  A Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) will be set up to fit the specific needs

5.  Developmental  Hearing and Vision  Nutrition  Occupational Therapy  Physical Therapy  Family Counseling  Service Coordination  Psychological Therapy

6.  1-6 months; stiff or floppy body, does not respond to sound or noise, can not hold head steady, can not reach for objects  7-12 months; doesn’t crawl, can not stand with out support, no language or gestures such as no, doesn’t look for objects and or toys  12-24 months; failure to follow simple instruction, doesn’t walk by 18 months, inability to use 2 word sentences, unable to push wheeled objects, failure to mimic words or sounds  24-36 months; unclear speech, continuous drilling, little to no eye contact, hard time walking, falls a lot, little to no interest in toys, unable to stack blocks, un able to follow basic instruction.

7.  Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) part C mandates these services Statewide and requires infants and toddlers to receive services if they experience any type of delays  ECI has only been around since the 1990’s on a state to state basis. Diagnosis may be free under a specific age depending on the county of Residence  In California testing is free under the age of 3  If care is needed after the age of 3 they may enter the public school system for assistance

8. Depending on the child's need, they can have different types of teachers or therapists including Physical Therapists Occupational therapists Speech Pathologist Social Worker Teacher Aid or Assistant Counselor

9.  Depending on the disability, therapy can take place in the home, preschool or in the therapists office.  It can also take place in a center based program like the Early Head Start centers.  In 2008 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) part C provided services to 321,894 infants and toddlers (Early Intervention)

10.  As soon as a guardian or Doctor notices a concern the concern should be addressed immediately  Research shows that when a child receives the intervention services they have a better long term outcome.  The younger a child is the more Neural plasticity they have this means that their brains have more of an ability to learn. As they get older the neural plasticity decreases

11.  Independence  Communication  Cognitive Development  Generalized Skills  Social competence  Child engagement  Play Development  Socialization

12.  Kid Source Online onlinehttp://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/ content/early.intervention.html  Parents Helping Parents www.php.com/services/early-intervention- infants-toddlers-0-3  The Albrite Organization abrite.org

13.  Early chilhood Intervention, 2007, http://www.elpasoeci.org/  Milestone Chart, www.babycenter.com/milestone-charts- birth-to-age-3  California Early Start - Exceptional Family Resource Center, www.efrconline.org/efrc.cfm?pid=California_Early_Start  Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with www2.ed.gov/programs/osepeip/index.html  WestEd: Early Childhood & Early Intervention, www.wested.org/cs/we/view/area/4  Smith, T., Polloway, E., Patton, J., & Dowdy, C. (2012). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.