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Fewer families are availing of Early Intervention
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Posted on Dec 29 2008
Official numbers from the CNMI’s Early Intervention Services program show a decrease in the number of babies treated for 2008, particularly among those under age 1.
A total of 50 babies were referred to the program for 2008, down from 58 the year before. For babies under age 1, the number decreased by 60 percent from 10 babies in 2007 to 4 in 2008, according to Suzanne Lizama, coordinator for the Public School System’s Early Childhood Special Education
“We took a dive,” she said.
The Early Intervention Services program helps families diagnose and treat children from birth to 3 years old who might be experiencing developmental delays.
Lizama said she is working with other local organizations to brainstorm how she can get the word out about the program. Some ideas are to conduct orientations for new food stamp recipients and present ads on radio and TV. In the past the program has used posters to try to get the word out, but Lizama said this is not always ideal.
“In all my years of experience, I don’t think posters or brochures bring people in. It’s word of mouth,” she had earlier said.
The best time for referrals is after a baby’s initial developmental check by a doctor or nurse, she said, adding that now she is noticing that parents are bringing in their children at age 2 for referrals.
“I often wonder why this wasn’t caught earlier,” she said of babies experiencing delays.
There are several milestones that babies should be meeting and, if they aren’t, parents should seek assistance. For example, she said, 1 year old babies should be starting to stand up and taking steps. And around 1.5 years, babies should be putting words together.
Families interested in the services can visit the Child Development Assistance Center. All test are conducted in the baby’s natural environment, she said.
