Print 
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Why is Early Intervention Important?
-
The years between birth and school-entry are critical to a child's development and impact their future.
-
Research indicates that helping children with special needs in their early developmental stages (new-born to six-years-old) improves their outcomes and future life skills.
-
All information provided to us is kept in strict confidence. We will not share any information with another service provider without your written consent.
What benefits does Early Intervention have?
- Reduces the chance of long-term social, emotional and educational problems
- Prevents problems from getting worse
- Reduces parent's anxiety
- Puts parents in touch with the correct help and support as soon as possible
- An easier transition to school
- The earlier treatment begins, the more effective it is for your child. Even children under the age of one year can be helped.
What you may gain from Early Intervention Services
- Help to understand your child's growth and development
- Connection to other resources and supports
- Parent education through workshops
- Support for you in your role as a parent of a child with special needs
- Help to identify your child's needs and goals
What Services are offered by EIS?
The Early Intervention Program will:
- Screen and assess children
- Help you understand your child's growth and development
- Provide intervention programs
- Assist parents and caregivers to teach children new skills
- Provide occupational and/or physiotherapy consultation
- Offer play groups for children with special needs
- Promote and support your child's participation in a community child care program
- Consult with and support child care providers
- Connect you with community resources
- Offer workshops for parents and caregivers of children with special needs
- Educate the community about developmental delays
- Work closely with school board staff to facilitate a smooth transition to elementary school
Who is Eligible for Early Intervention Services?
EIS is available to families and to children who:
- are aged birth to school-entry
- live in York Region
- are at risk of delayed development due to prematurity/low-birth weight
- have delayed development
- have a disability such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism or Down Syndrome
How do I make a referral to Early Intervention Services?
- Call the KIDS LINE at 1-888-703-KIDS (5437), extension 2. An intake worker will answer your questions and concerns.
- The intake worker may suggest resources for you to access for additional supports.
What Happens Upon Referral?
Referral
- Referral is received.
- Staff conducts an intake assessment by telephone with the family to determine eligibility.
- Family is scheduled for an Initial Service Planning Meeting with Early Intervention Staff.
Initial Service Planning Meeting
- Family meets with Early Intervention staff at our office.
- Child's developmental strengths and needs are reviewed.
- Family's concerns and priorities are discussed.
- Services most appropriate for the child and family are identified in partnership with the parents.
- Family is provided with suggestions to address priority areas.
- Information about Early Intervention Services is provided.
Active Service
The child and family may receive one ore more of the following services:
Parent/Child Groups
- Assessment and intervention provided in a group format
- Opportunity to meet and learn together with other families and children
- Information and support from Early Intervention staff
- Other community service providers may be involved in the group, e.g. speech pathologist, dietician, public health nurse
- Preparation for a community group program
Family Visits
- Usually provided in the family home or in our office
- On-going assessment of child's developmental strengths, needs and goals established
- Work together with family and other professionals involved with the child/family
- Strategies to address goal areas are demonstrated and taught to the family
- Suggestions on how to teach skills during play or in routine activities such as dressing, eating, having a bath, etc.
- Information provided on topics of interest to the family and community resources
- On-going service planning
Child Care Visits
- Provide support to child care provider and/or teacher
- On-going assessment of child's developmental strengths, needs and goals established
- Assessment and intervention suggestions in the child care setting
- On-going service planning using an Individual Program Support Plan
- Assist teacher/caregiver to integrate the child into routine activities and to plan learning activities in which the child will be successful
Service Co-ordination and Transition to School
- Joint service planning with parents and with other team members involved with your child's are
- Assistance to identify and access appropriate community supports and programs
- Support in planning for the child's transition to elementary school or other community programs
Resource Centre
All parents with a child enrolled in Early Intervention Services have access to a Resource Centre which includes:
- Research and professional journals
- Videos on approaches to inclusionary practices
- Books on a wide range of topics
- Adaptive equipment and communication aids
Who Provides these Services?
Early Interventionists who:
- Are child development specialists, trained in a variety of educational backgrounds
- Are skilled at working with children and their families
- Understand the importance of, and use play to optimize skill development in young children
Occupational/Physiotherapists who:
- Understand and are specialists in movement, posture and muscle tone
- Are skilled at working with children and their families
- Understand the importance of, and use play to optimize skill development in young children
Community Partners like:
- Preschool Speech and Language Program
- Community Care Access Centre
- Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
- Child Care Providers
- Children's Mental Health Agencies
- Children's Aid Society
Early Intervention Services are offered in:
- Offices of Early Intervention Services
- Family homes and in caregiver homes
- Community child care programs
- Ontario Early Years Centres
- Other community settings
We believe a team approach to working with families is the most effective. You, as parents, are the most important member of your child's team. An Early Interventionist will work with you to determine the team. The team members may also include your child's child care teacher and other community service providers. We would be happy to include family members, friends or people that you feel are important in your child's life.
Privacy and confidentiality are very important to us. When we ask questions to learn more about your family life and your child's daily routines, it is so that we can make suggestions that are meaningful to your family. All information provided to us will be kept in strict confidence. We will not share any information with another service provider without your written consent.
Office Locations for Early Intervention Services
To access EIS, call the KIDS LINE at 1-888-703-KIDS (5437), extension 2. Applications for Early Intervention Services cannot be taken at the local offices. Only scheduled appointments and visits to the EIS Resource Centre are conducted at the local offices. Click here to view the EIS office locations.
When should I seek help for my child?
A Development Screen is used to identify problem areas with your child's development. The following questions are an example of questions on the full screen.
- Does your baby startle to loud or sudden noise?
- Does your baby follow movement with her eyes?
- Does your child look in the direction of a new sound?
- Does your child stand with support?
- Does your child make scribbles and dots on paper?
- Does you child try to hop on one foot?
- Does your child play make believe games with others?
The appropriate ages when the above skills should be reached are not provided, therefore, it is not to be used to identify your child's development. Please do not use only part of this Development Screen, as it may give incorrect information. We suggest you contact us for a complete copy, or to talk about your concerns.
Contact us at: 1-888-703-5437, ext. 2
Special Needs Programs and Resources
The following programs and resources are available to support families of children with special needs:
- Autism Spectrum Orders
- School-Age Children with Special Needs
- Children's mental health
- Preschool Speech and Language Program
- Tri-Regional Infant Hearing Program
You can also visit YorkLink to search for agencies in your community. YorkLink is a comprehensive information resource of community service providers and related government agencies.
Children age five and under with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorders may receive direct individual services through York Central
School-age Children with Special Needs
Parents of school-age children should speak to their school principal to access services available through the Special Education Department of the District School Board. School-age children with development delays can be supported through:
- Associations for Community Living:
- Associations for Community Living:
- Associations for Community Living:
Parents of children with special, social, emotional or behaviour needs can contact a children's mental health centre. They provide services to children from newborn to under the age of ten years and their families. Services include children's treatment groups, covering issues such as anger management, making friends and self-esteem.
Home care and intervention programs support families with behaviour management issues. Day and residential programs support children with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties.
Children's mental health centres work to prevent, consult and educate through parenting groups, workshops and providing resource information. For more information on support and services available, you can call:
- Behaviour Management Services (905) 773-2362
- Blue Hills Child and Family Services (905) 773-4323, ext. 326
- Kinark Child and Family Services (905) 898-4572 http://www.kinark.on.ca
The Preschool Speech and Language Program
The Preschool Speech and Language program is an early treatment program for children from birth to kindergarten age who have trouble talking or understanding language.
A unique partnership between Early Intervention Services and Preschool Speech and Language provides a team approach to offer the following services:
- Prevention and public awareness.
- Screening, assessment and treatment.
- Connecting parents with resources.
- Parent education.
Communication is developed over time. The communications checklist, provided by the York Region Preschool Speech and Language Program, outlines the ages that communication milestones are normally reached.
Please click here to view the communications checklist in PDF format.
For more information, please visit the Preschool Speech and Language, Beyond Words Web Site at www.beyond-words.org.
Preschool language services are provided by speech-language pathologists and communicative disorders assistants. These services are administered and supervised by
Call the KIDS LINE at 1-888-703-KIDS (5437), ext. 2 to speak with an intake worker who will answer your questions and concerns.
Tri-Regional Infant Hearing Program
This program screens infants up to the age of two years for permanent childhood hearing loss. Speech language pathologists and Audiologists offer the following services:
- Assessment and identification
- Support to families
- Communication programming
Call the KIDSLINE at 1-888-703-KIDS (5437), extension 4 or 905-762-1282, extension 2810 to speak to an intake worker who will answer your questions and concerns.
All Adobe Acrobat PDF files require that you have a PDF viewer.
(A free download is available from the Adobe Web site.)
Back to Family and Children's Services
Back to Community Services and Housing