Do you feel your baby or toddler is falling behind his peers? Do you look at baby milestone charts with dread, worrying about every little skill your child doesn’t have yet? Do you feel your child is regressing, not progressing? You are not alone. There is support for you here in the Santa Clarita Valley. Early Start through Regional Center provides early intervention services for children ages 0-3. Not all babies gain each skill at exactly the same time, but, by talking to an early intervention specialist, you can figure out if your child is on the path to catch up with his peers or if he is in need of some extra help to get him there.
The evaluation process is free and open to all families, no matter income or language. Eligibility for the program is based on these three things, which come from Regional Center’s website:” 1.) A one-third delay in one or more areas of development before 36 months, 2.) An Established Risk Condition. This is a diagnosed medical condition which has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, and/or disability., 3.) High-Risk for Developmental disability due to a combination of two or more risk factors.”
You do not need a doctor’s referral to have your child evaluated. Parents can fill out the application by themselves. If your child qualifies for the program, you could receive free speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, parent and me class, and more. Both of my daughters received early intervention services in Santa Clarita, and I am extremely grateful for all the help Regional Center provided. While I am not an expert, I am always happy to share my personal experiences with the program. I can easily be found at my 2’s and 3’s storytimes every Monday and Wednesday at Canyon Country. Don’t wait if your intuition is telling you something is wrong.
As always, there are plenty of baby/parenting books available at the Santa Clarita Public Library. We would be happy to help you find them.
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