FAQ About the Intervention

 

Who would benefit from this early intervention?

This early intervention is intended for young children with special needs, including:

• Infants

• Toddlers

• Preschoolers

The intervention is designed for children with a range of special needs, including children with:

• Autism spectrum disorders

• Cerebral palsy

• Down syndrome

• Developmental delay

• Multiple disabilities

 

What is the purpose of Early Intervention?
Early intervention is designed to support young children in gaining independence and becoming active participants within their communities during early childhood years, to prepare for future activities and educational programming.

 

What is a natural environment?
A child’s natural environment are places that the child and family may typically visit. These places may consist of the family’s home, community, park, playground, grocery store or local child care setting among other settings. By including the child in activities with typically developing peers, early intervention services are available to support young children in becoming active participants within their community.

 

Who will be involved in my child’s Early Intervention services? 
Early Intervention services are participation based, which means that the adult/caregiver will be actively involved in each session. By actively engaging the adults in each early intervention session, key early intervention skills and strategies will be shared by the early intervention service provider and later can be practiced by the parent/caregiver beyond the session.

 

What types of services does Early Intervention offer?
Early intervention offers services such as specially designed instruction, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work nutrition/dietary, speech and language pathology, psychological and behavioral supports, hearing and vision; in addition to access to resources and assistive technology.

The intervention is specifically designed for children who have complex communication needs, including:

• Children who do not talk at all

• Children who may be slow learning to talk

• Children who may talk, but it is difficult to understand their speech

• Children who are at risk for communication difficulties for a variety of reasons

 

 

How do I make an early intervention referral?
You can make a referral to early intervention by completing the attached forms or by directly calling the below numbers:
Infant/Toddler: Email – Birthto3EI@phila.gov Phone: (215) 685-4646 Fax: (215) 685-4638 (download referral form here)
Elwyn Preschool: Elwyn Seeds Intake – 215-823-5083 (download referral form here)