Early Intervention - Most of the time it's better not to "wait and see"

Early Intervention services are an amazing tool that is FREE to any child under the age of 3 that qualifies.  In order to qualify for Early Intervention services a child has to undergo an evaluation, usually by a team of therapists (Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Pathologist, Early Childhood Special Educator), and show some kind of delay in their development.  The delays can be very minimal to qualify when children/babies are really young.  Early Intervention services are usually carried out in the child's home, which is a great benefit to parents in that the therapists come to you!

The whole idea behind Early Intervention is:
1. For children with disabilities that will be lifelong - to start making the most of the body they have at a young age so that they can keep up with their peers to the best of their ability.

2. For children who don't have disabilities but are showing delays at an early age - to address the delays early so they don't spiral into bigger issues for the child.

An example of a child referred to Early Intervention:
A 10 month old girl who throws a tantrum every time she is placed on her stomach.  The little girl can sit but won't reach for a toy that she drops and just cries until someone picks it up for her and gives it back.  The little girl is happy to lie on her back but also cries if she drops her toy and won't try to reach for it.

This little girl probably should have been referred to Early Intervention around 3 months old if she was crying when placed on her stomach.  At 3 months tummy time could have been addressed and the little girl would likely be much further along in her movement.

When should a child be referred to Early Intervention from a Physical Therapist's point of view?  Any time a child refuses or just cries when they are put on their tummy after they are a month or two old, any time a child is not pretty actively moving backwards or in circles on the floor on their tummy by the time they are 6 months old, any time a child is not sitting independently by about 8 months old, any time a child doesn't seem like they want to move from one position to another by the time they are 9 months old.

It seems doctors in Colorado are very much in the "wait and see" frame of mind instead of making early referrals to Early Intervention.  One of the best things about Early Intervention is that parents can make the referral for their own children!  And then at the evaluation usually the therapists will give the parent some hints and tips to start working on even if the child doesn't qualify for services.

In Colorado you can go to: http://www.eicolorado.org/ to find contact information.  If you Google the term Early Intervention for your state you should easily find contact information.

So, what kind of tips can you try yourself that therapists are likely to try?  With at home therapy with children PLAY is really the method of delivery.  Therapists mix in therapy techniques and trying to get children to participate through play.  So....

1. Play play play with your babies!
2. Try bubbles!  There is no other magic wand that I know of besides the wand in the bottle of bubbles and this wand is pretty magical!  Bubbles can get most kids to stop crying and do many things (such as being put on their tummy) that they won't tolerate otherwise.

3. If tummy time is the issue try rolling up a blanket and putting under the babies chest.  Also try building up from REALLY short tummy sessions (starting with around 5 seconds) to longer sessions very slowly.
4. Talk to your doctor!!  If a child is crying on their tummy - is their head all stuffy all the time?  Does there seem to be something odd about their eyes?  Have the doctor check over your baby for any and every possible reason the baby can't tolerate tummy time.