Parents know their children. They are aware of their child’s personality, their growth, and their movements. Occasionally parents may notice a lag in communication or motor skills. Child development services can help get your child back on track by analyzing your child and then offering a plan with activities or exercises to help your child to fully develop in areas they may be struggling with. There are specific criteria that the child must meet in order to be considered for these services.
Perhaps your child did not meet the criteria for early intervention? This can be discouraging, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a few things you can do to if your child was deemed ineligible. One of the first things a parent can do is to appeal the decision. If the child was said to have been borderline or below the normal range, a parent can appeal. Keep in mind that if your child was ranked as average or above, there is a good chance you will not win the appeal.
There are many companies with experienced, licensed professionals that can sit with both the parents and child and discuss what the concerns are as well as develop a plan for their little one. Don’t be dissuaded if you were denied developmental services, there are many more such services available led by professionals. So where do you find them? One of the best places to look is on the Internet. Search first by your location. Local developmental services can be provided in the child’s natural environment in your home. If there are no such local services available, try a search for child development services that offer remote services like through FaceTime, Skype or others that are similar.
Child development services such as these can offer lesson plans or guides, exercises, and activities for your child to complete. This can be done with the professional observing and offering guidance or as homework prior to the next session. They can help determine which milestones your child has met and needs to meet in order to stay on target with their development. Language guides are one of the most popular methods of assisting children. These guides will help them learn to make the proper letter sounds with the aid of their parents.
If your child was denied early intervention services, there are options available to you as a parent. There are licensed educators, therapists and professionals available all over the country, and thanks to advances in technology, their services can be used anywhere for any child. Do you feel your child needs assistance? Their development doesn’t have to falter. With the assistance and guidance of child development services, parents can rest assured that their child’s developmental milestones are being met.
Michelle Dell’Aquila, M.A. is a licensed child therapist who is currently the director of CDA, a program geared for infants to 5-year-old providing developmental assessments, advice to parents at home and for teachers in schools.
