Does my child need a diagnosis to get Early Intervention Services?

Whether you have a diagnosis or are still on the developmental pediatrician wait list, use the time wisely. Read about all the evidence-based therapies and complimentary therapies that are available. By understanding the benefits of each therapy, you can make more informed decisions about what your child needs.

​

You can also start applying for Early Intervention Services in your county starting from birth to 5 yrs old. No diagnosis is needed to start Early Intervention Services and it's free. **Even if your child doesn't qualify for services, the staff can monitor them to see if they may need services later.

​

What is joint attention?

This is crucial for children to develop for language development. To learn words, a child has to hear it and associate it with an object. Not only is it important for early communication but the child is creating an environment of learning for themselves. You want to encourage your child to initiate their learning process.

​

Why is joint attention important?

Also called "Shared Attention" when two people see the same thing. It's a social skill that is learned behavior. Some kids learn it on their own while others need to be taught. When a child isn't responding to something you are pointing out, there isn't much interaction. Children with strong joint attention are interrupting and leading adults around to get what they want. 

​

Frequency matters

Experts say that if a child's joint attention isn't consistent, there is often a language delay. If he's doing his own thing much of the time, learning opportunities can be missed. 

​​

If you have questions or issues concerning Early Intervention evaluation, identification or IEP/Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) implementation, click here for the Office of Dispute and Resolution.

​

Early Intervention Providers: Speech and OT therapies can be done at home and at a daycare/preschool setting.

​

**Speaking from personal experience when having services in the home, it can get cluttered really fast with teaching and sensory items really fast which adds to more stress. It's really important to have a system in place to to keep everything organized. This 3 min video is one example and I used a similar system when doing therapies at home.

​

​