Common Questions About
Early Intervention

Keep in mind that all children develop differently and there is a range of what is considered to be 'normal' development. Also, at times it is normal to see a child slow down in one developmental area while they expand skills in another area. For example, it is not unusual to see a child plateau in their development of speech when they are concentrating on improving gross motor skills such as walking.

For more information on normal development, check out, How Children Develop on this website. You can also ask a therapist specific questions in our Ask the Therapist section.

In addition, always talk to your child's pediatrician regarding any developmental concerns that you have. Keep in mind too, if you are still concerned, you can always seek out an evaluation through your local early intervention program to have your child's development evaluated for free.

On this website, check out our resource list in the community section. We have early intervention resources listed for you by state. Also, if you'd like to ask a therapist a specific question regarding your child, post a question in our, Ask the Therapist section. A licensed therapist would be happy to answer your specific questions within 72 hours of your posting.

For help with parenting concerns, please sign up for Parenting Digest, our monthly newsletter, featuring the latest in Early Intervention News related to parenting, child development and diagnoses - plus a developmental activity for you and your child. You may also want to review our Parenting Tips section.

These services are provided to children with or without a diagnosis that are experiencing a delay in some area of development for any reason. These services are provided in a child's 'most natural environment' including their home, daycare, or other community settings. For more information on what early intervention is, see our Therapy Options section for an in-depth description of Early Intervention Services. For information on early intervention services provided in your state, see our resource section.

For information on helping to facilitate the adjustment of your child to his new home and environment, check out our Adoption Tips under the parenting section.

For example, during diaper changes encourage eye contact while singing to your child. When shopping with your child, talk about the foods that you see, ask your child questions about them and help them to describe them. Have your child 'help' at meal times by letting them do things like put ingredients in a salad, have them help to stir foods. For more tips, see our Parenting Tips section. Also, for new activity ideas that you can do with your child, sign up for our monthly newsletter, Parenting Digest

Avoid loud rock or rap music. This harsh music has been associated with a decrease in nerve connections in the brain. Not only does music help with general neurological development. Music encourages movement, promoting the development of motor skills. You can also use music to work on imitative and social skills by using songs such as 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' or 'Wheels on the Bus' to imitate repetitive movements to songs.

You may see signs of regression such as your toddler wanting to have a bottle when they have already moved on to a sippy cup. Another common issue is aggressive behavior toward the new baby. If your toddler is showing regression in their behavior, praise more mature behavior and point out the advantages that they have as an older child. If your child is being aggressive, teach 'gentle' behavior, and give a 'time-out' when needed. In general, it is a good idea to set aside some time just for your toddler, one on one, so that they still feel important. Give your child 'jobs' to do to help with the baby so that they can interact with your new baby in a positive way. Praise them for their help. If you have more questions about this adjustment, post a question in our Ask the Therapist section.

One thing to keep in mind is that before the age of 3, children do not have the cognitive or emotional maturity level to experience empathy. In other words, they most likely don't understand that they are hurting someone when they are doing these things.

Children often use these negative behaviors because they have found that they result in positive consequences. These positive consequences are usually that the child gets the toy that they want and/or they get attention. Talk to the teachers and find out how the situation is being handled. Are the teachers imposing a 'time-out'? Repeatedly removing a child from a situation when they react negatively, saying, 'no' and ignoring them will often extinguish the behavior.

Sometimes, negative behavior has a different root cause. Is the child unable to use words to express their frustration? Sometimes a child will act out when they are not able to express their frustration through language. If there is a language delay, working with a speech therapist to improve language skills may be helpful. Other things can cause a child to lash out too. If a child has an inability to tolerate their environment, they may seem to lash out randomly. In this case, working with an occupational therapist may be beneficial.

Another thing to consider is if any major changes have been going on in the child's life. Stressful events such as a move or divorce may affect a child's behavior. Remember though, occasional biting or hitting in young children is not unusual. However, if your child's behavior is something that has been expressed as a concern by teachers that feel that your child's behavior is atypical, it may be time to talk to your pediatrician. Your pediatrician can help to determine what type of evaluation may be appropriate or you can contact your local early intervention program for children under the age of 3 for a free evaluation. See early intervention resources in your state or visit our Ask the Therapist page.

Bullies at a young age will often stop if the child that they are bullying will tell them in a firm voice to stop. Encourage your child to use their words in order to do this. If you are looking for more specific information for your situation, ask one of our therapists.

This is something that should be discussed with your family pediatrician. Vaccination requirements vary by state and may affect a child's ability to attend day care, head start, and/or school. To find out what your state requirements are, check with your state health department. There are allowable exemptions to vaccinations for special circumstances such as due to religious, medical or philosophical reasons.

In general, avoid animals such as reptiles, rodents, amphibians, ferrets, baby poultry, monkeys, and exotic animals (www.kidshealth.org). Always make sure that your child is supervised when around any pet. Make sure you teach your child how to be gentle and avoid behaviors that can anger a pet, such as taking food from a dog for example. When deciding on a pet, it would be wise to find out what type of treatment is needed to make sure that they don't carry disease. For example, a dog can carry ticks, which may have Lyme disease. However, if a dog is properly treated with preventative medications, this should not be an issue. If you're looking for specific information on pets, consider checking out some pet guides or talking to your local veterinarian. Keep in mind; pets do have great benefits such as teaching responsibility and providing companionship. Some popular pets for kids that require relatively little care include fish and guinea pigs.

Children exposed to second hand smoke are more likely to cough, wheeze, have phlegm and to be breathless. Second hand smoke is associated with increased cases of asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Being exposed to second hand smoke can cause a build- up of fluid in the middle ear leading to middle ear infections which may in turn lead to hearing loss. Some studies have also shown exposure to second hand smoke to be associated with an increase in the incidence of SIDS. All of this information is available on the American Lung Association website. Check out www.lungusa.org for more information.

As stated by Mary Ruebush, author of 'Why Dirt is Good,' 'Not only does this allow for 'practice' of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.' Some microbes that we are exposed to are actually good for you, and help your body to function better! So, of course, continue to use good hand washing practices such as when coming in to eat or using the bathroom, but a little dirt may be good for your child. Of course, with all questions regarding your child's health, especially if your child has unique medical related concerns, such as a compromised immune system, talk to your pediatrician.

Talk to your child about foods, describe them by how they look, how they feel. Incorporate your child in activities such as shopping. Let them explore foods. Have them help in food preparation. Children may be much more willing to try a food if they've been involved in helping to prepare it. Encourage children to kiss a food on their plate good-bye if they don't want to taste it. Or, start by having them touch a piece of the undesired food to remove it from their plate. Don't battle or force a child to try foods. Having a negative or stressful experience with a food may make them less likely to want to try it.

If a child is severely limiting their foods, such as eating most foods from one or two food groups, only eating foods of a certain texture or temperature, or are not gaining weight as expected, there may be more going on than just having a picky eater. It may be time to have a professional look at their eating habits. Feeding evaluations are available through early intervention or through private therapy clinics. Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns if you feel an evaluation is needed. Read more about Good Nutritional Habits or ask one of our therapists for more advice based on your child's current eating habits.

However, you can pack your children's lunches and snacks if you are concerned about exposure to unhealthy food options. In a world where allergies are more and more of a concern for children, most families and child care centers are familiar with needing to accommodate special diets, so don't be afraid to provide your child with their own special lunch or snack. When packing your child a special lunch or snack, let them be involved in making choices as to what to have in their lunch or snack. If your child has some control in these decisions, they will be more likely to choose to eat these packed foods rather than eating other foods. Teach your child by example. Make sure that if you want your child to eat healthy, that you are making healthy choices as well. If you have other concerns, read our Good Nuttrion Habits page or ask one of our therapists in our 'Ask the Therapist' section.

However, some behaviors associated with autism, besides a decreased amount of eye contact include repetitive behaviors, obsessive or compulsive type behaviors, unexplained strong tantrums, language delays, difficulty or delays in social interactions, sleeping problems, delays in motor development and picky eating. These are some but not all of the behaviors or symptoms that may be seen in children that have a diagnosis somewhere on the autistic spectrum.

Keep in mind that not all children with autism have the exact same characteristics. It is a 'spectrum' disorder where children present with different symptoms and varying degrees of severity of each symptom present. Sometimes behavioral differences may be rather mild, and the child may be thought of as 'eccentric,' 'quirky', or 'different'.

If you have any concerns that your child may exhibit some of the above behaviors, or other behaviors that are concerning to you, don't wait to see if it gets better or worse on its own. Talk to your pediatrician about these concerns. Seek out an evaluation by a provider that can diagnose autism, and at the same time, seek out early intervention or other therapeutic evaluations that can provide you with help in working with the difficulties you and your child are experiencing. Studies have shown that the earlier a child on the autistic spectrum receives intervention, the better their functional outcomes are due to the fact that at an early age, a child's brain is still developing, or flexible. So, most importantly, if you suspect a problem with your child's development, do not delay in seeking intervention.

When a child is born, their gag reflex is far forward (about the first third) of their tongues. As the child mouths objects, that gag reflex gradually moves back to where it typically should be for adults, on the back third of the tongue. In this way, mouthing toys aids a child in getting used to feeling different textures on their tongues, which will help them adjust to feeling different foods on their tongues. Not only does mouthing affect the gag reflex. When mouthing objects, a baby's tongue will reflexively follow an object, which helps the tongue develop movement patterns such as moving to the side when things (like food) are placed on the side. If your child is not mouthing toys, starting with massaging their gums with your finger or an Infadent is a good place to start. Encourage your child to bring toys to their mouth to at first feel them on their lips and gradually in their mouths. You can also have a child taste their favorite purees on a bumpy teether. If your child has difficulty tolerating these things, talk to your pediatrician or ask one of our therapists a question for more information.

Their employees, comprising of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and developmentalists contribute to the information found on this website. For more information on this company, which is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, please see our website, www.teisinc.com.

We know that the earlier we are able to intervene, often the bigger difference we can make in a child's life. We all work in pediatrics because of our love of children. Early Intervention Support was started in order to reach out to and support families beyond the Pittsburgh area, where our company, TEIS Inc is based.