Health

Early Intervention Program

It is never too early to start. The period from birth through two years of age is critical for your infant’S and toddler’s development. As your baby begins to notice the world, explore, relate to others, and speak; your baby is learning how to grow, develop, and learn. This is the best age to begin intervention because this is the time so many skills normally appear. Children learn most basic language, physical, and social skills before they are two years old. Help is provided to any eligible child at no cost through a variety of services, including: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, special instruction and other specialized activities. For more information call: 585-344-2580, extension 5572.

The New York State Early Intervention Program provides many services to families of infants and toddlers who have special needs.

  • Provides a choice of services based on the child’s needs and strengths.
  • Services may be provided in the child’s home or a community setting, such as a daycare, playgroup or library.
  • There is no out of pocket cost to parents for this program.

Services:

  • Early identification, screening and assessment services
  • Service coordination
  • Special instruction
  • Speech pathology and audiology
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Psychological services
  • Nursing services
  • Nutrition services
  • Social work services
  • Family training, and counseling, parent & child support groups
  • Vision services
  • Assistive technology
  • Respite services
  • Other approved services
  • Behavioral intervention services

Eligibility:

A child 0 to 3 years of age suspected of having a developmental delay may be referred for further evaluation to meet specific criteria.

Below are some of the things your infant or toddler should be doing at different ages:

At 3 months, does your child:

  • Turn their head toward bright colors and lights
  • Move eyes in the same direction together
  • Cries differently when tired, hungry or in pain
  • Recognize the bottle or breast
  • Become quiet in response to sounds (especially to speech)
  • Make fists with both h ands
  • Grasp rattles or hair
  • Wiggle and kick with arms and legs
  • Lift head and chest when on belly
  • Smile or coos in response to person’s smile or voice

At 6 months, does your child:

  • Follow moving objects with their eyes
  • Turn toward the source of normal sound
  • Reach for objects and pick them up
  • Switch toys from one hand to the other
  • Play with their toes
  • Help hold the bottle during feeding
  • Recognize familiar faces
  • Imitate speech sounds
  • Respond to soft sounds, especially talking
  • Roll over

At 9 months, does your child:

  • Enjoys peek-a-boo and patty cake
  • Has different vocalizations for different states
  • Imitates familiar sounds and actions
  • Cries when parent leaves room
  • Reaches to request object
  • Babbling (“bababa”, “mama-mama”),lots of sounds that take on sounds of words

At 12 months, does your child:

  • Attracts attention (such as vocalizing, coughing)
  • Crawl on hands and knees
  • Shakes head “no”, pushes away undesired objects
  • Pull to a standing position
  • Drink from a cup
  • Wave bye-bye
  • Hold out arms and legs while being dressed
  • Walks with help
  • Indicates requests clearly through actions
  • Put objects into a container
  • Have a 5-6 word vocabulary

At 18 months, does your child:

  • Uses 8-10 words
  • Walks without help
  • Understands that an adult can do things for him/her
  • Lie to pull, push and dump things
  • Follow simple direction (“bring me the ball”)
  • Pull off socks, shoes and mittens
  • Acknowledges people by eye contact and/or vocal response
  • Like to look at pictures
  • Feed self
  • Make marks on paper with crayons
  • Steps off low object and keeps balance

At 2 years old, does your child:

  • Use 2 – 3 word sentences
  • Has at least 50 words
  • Say names of toys
  • Recognize familiar pictures
  • Carry an object while walking
  • Feed self with spoon
  • Play alone and independently
  • Turn 2-3 pages in a book at a time
  • Like to imitate parents
  • Identify hair, eyes, ears, and nose by pointing
  • Build a tower of four blocks
  • Show affection
  • Stands from stooping
  • Completes simple puzzles
  • Kicks ball

TIPS FOR CHILDREN