Early Intervention 101
Almost anyone who has a preemie has heard of Early Intervention (EI), at least in passing. Some NICUs are really fantastic about providing parents with information about resources available to parents of preemies. Others don’t provide moms and dads with as much information, but will make basic suggestions about therapies, services, and more for preemies. Thanks to the Internet, almost everything you need to know about services for preemies is out there and easy to find.
Why you should look into Early Intervention:
Most premature infants (and toddlers) need help to reach developmental milestones, and EI provides just that. It’s a series of a federally funded programs carried out by states for children ages 0-3 and in many states, babies who have spent time in NICUs qualify automatically for either an assessment or for speech, vision, occupational, and physical therapy services. Not all preemies will need EI for their first three years, but even a few months of intervention services can give parents a great foundation for helping preemies cope with or overcome developmental delays, cognitive disorders, emotional issues, feeding problems, speech difficulties, or other concerns.
Why preemie parents like Early Intervention:
It’s because EI is anything but clinical. In many states, therapists or teachers will come right to a family’s home on a schedule agreed upon by everyone. A typical session can last a half hour to an hour, and usually involves the EI specialist playing with the child, working on specific activities to address that child’s issues, and giving parents activity ideas that they can do between sessions to reinforce what the child is doing with the specialist. Families and their EI therapists often develop close bonds, and the therapist often knows the child they are working with so well that they can recognize emerging issues early on.
When should you start Early Intervention:
Ideally, Early Intervention begins as soon as possible, but parents of preemies younger than three can request an EI assessment at any time. Waiting can mean that a child reaches milestones later, but it’s never too late to start EI. Parents who have financial concerns should know that EI can be covered by medical insurance and in many states, fees for services are determined by income – with many families receiving services at low cost or no cost.
How to qualify for Early Intervention:
Eligibility for early intervention services is based on an evaluation of your child’s skills and abilities. If you, your child’s doctor, or other care provider is concerned about your child’s development, ask to be connected with your state or territory’s early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help. If your doctor is not able to connect you, you can reach out yourself. A doctor’s referral is not necessary.
Finding Early Intervention Services
In many states, babies born prematurely will automatically qualify for EI services even if they haven’t yet shown any developmental delays. In some cases, Early Intervention begins right after discharge from the NICU though parents will concerns can contact EI any time before a preemie turns three.
For services in your state ask your preemie’s care team for a referral or visit the CDC website. Then select your state and find the listing for one or more early intervention programs in your area.
Flynn’s Story: Stepping into Early Intervention
by Kristina MulliganWhen first introducing solid foods to a baby, it is expected that there will be hilarious, camera-worthy moments of spitting and silly faces, maybe a mess to clean up. When first trying purees with our son, there were tears and gagging, screaming and hyperventilating. As a new mom, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew this wasn’t “normal.”
For many reasons, I held off on introducing foods to Flynn until after the window of time typically recommended. I chose to strongly take his adjusted age into consideration to ensure that he was ready, but his muscle control was also very weak, meaning that he was unable to sit up on his own – even assisted. If you are unsure of what adjusted age means, a baby’s adjusted age is their chronological age minus the number of weeks that he/she was premature. For example, I waited to attempt solids until Flynn was almost ten months old, but because he was born twelve weeks early, his adjusted age was about six-and-a-half months. After talking to the pediatrician, I decided to start with pureed avocado and recline the seat in Flynn’s highchair to give him the best position for his current abilities.
Well, as I mentioned, it did not go well: there was choking, gagging, and turning blue. Unfortunately, but also luckily, it was not my first time having to spring into action and he ended up just fine. Scarred from the first incident, but optimistic that it was just a difficult transition, I tried again but the result was more of the same. I remember crying to my family, “It’s just not normal and I don’t know what do.”
The timing actually worked in our favor, because later that week, Flynn had an appointment to see his neonatologist. In our case, he has an appointment to follow up with her every three months, and I was able to speak with his doctor pretty immediately after the choking incidents. This is when I first heard of Early Intervention. Her suggestion was to get Flynn evaluated by the county to see if he qualified for services through this program, specifically physical therapy. Her thought was that strengthening his core muscles would aid in the areas of feeding.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Early Intervention is the term used to describe the services and supports that are available to babies and young children (under the age of three) with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. This may include speech therapy, physical therapy, and other types of services based on specific needs. These publicly funded programs are available in every state and territory and provide services for free or at reduced cost for any child who is eligible. Flynn’s journey with early intervention began with physical therapy, but we have since expanded to speech, occupational, feeding, and sensory processing therapies. Even though our days are always packed with activity, I am extremely grateful and feel very fortunate that our family has been given this help. Each service has helped Flynn significantly and I truly believe that starting with these sessions so young will positively impact his future.
“I wish I had known more about Early Intervention sooner.”
As a parent in the NICU we heard a lot about activities that our son may not be able to do or things that he would not be capable of, but never how these things could be possible with specialists or how to get that help. I encourage everyone to be informed and ask questions, especially if they have concerns about their young children. We owe a lot of Flynn’s success to his amazing team of teachers, who have become such a huge part of our family. Every child deserves their best start, and this became possible for our family through the Early Intervention Program.
