Early Intervention : Early Childhood Disorders & Developmental Delays

Don’t Wait! Here’s Why

Early intervention is key to treating & preventing early childhood developmental delays & disorders while the child is still developing & growing. There are also limits when seeking aid & assistance for your child — read below for California intervention requirements (Link to CDE).

Early childhood disorders include :

• Scoliosis

• Cerebral Palsy

• Autism/Asd

• Down Syndrome

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Spina Bifida

• Cardiovascular disease

• Cystic Fibrosis

• Hypotonia

• Plagiocephaly

• Gait Abnormality

• Torticollis

• Speech Disorder

• Developmental Delays

Early Intervention assistance

Early intervention is available and may apply in every state under federal law — again, there are age limits, don’t delay. 36 months is a key age limit. A full list of California requirements can be found below.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first created by United States Congress in 1986 and has been amended many times since, with the most recent update coming in 2004. IDEA was designed to ensure that children with learning disabilities would be eligible to receive the type of care they need in order to be on even ground with their peers. Any child who is under the age of three and has a State-confirmed cognitive, social-emotional, physical, adaptive and/or communication disability or established developmental delay is eligible for government-funded early intervention services.

California Early Intervention Requirements

California qualifies infants and toddlers from birth through 36 months of age as eligible for early intervention when they have a documented evaluation and assessment meeting the conditions the state has established for disabilities and developmental delays. ASHA.

Developmental Milestones

By a certain age, children begin to perform specific types of acts or display mastery of specific types of skills. Common developmental milestones are listed below so you are able to ensure your little one is on the right track for full and proper development.

Some examples include :

• Copy the actions of others

• Likes to play with other children

• Demonstrates independence and defiance

• Point at more and more objects when they are named

• Drinks from a straw

Read this article for in-depth information about developmental milestones at various ages and stages of development.

Learn the Signs. Act Early.

There’s more to tracking your baby’s development than logging height and weight. There are a number of other childhood milestones & possible signs to keep watch for. Some skills may take months to develop, so it’s difficult to know exactly when these signs come into play — it can be overwhelming. Here are a few signs you can watch for. If you’re unsure, feel free to contact Spine & Body Wellness for a screening - it's free.

• Wobbly head after a few months

• Irregular response to voices or loud sounds

• Doesn’t smile at your voice or people

• Tracking issues, follow moving objects with eyes

• Difficulty with social interactions

• Repetitive behaviors

• Stiffness or floppiness

There are plenty of resources to help you if you feel stuck, here are 2 helpful resources that we came across to help parents in their self-education – CDC’s Developmental Milestones and another Helpful article from Mayo Clinic for Infant development.

Spine & Body Wellness Early Childhood Development Therapy

We provide comprehensive care to meet the needs of your child, along with one-on-one attention, and a fun, stress-free environment to put them at ease and engaged. We work with children as young as newborns, including premature babies. We offer expertise in both Pediatric Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, including the treatment of developmental disorders & delays.