Local families are encouraged to take advantage of the Tuscarawas Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Early Intervention Specialists and services.

#BetterTogether is brought to you by the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities

What is Early Intervention (EI)?

Early Intervention (EI) is a partnership developed to help parents and families when there are concerns regarding their child’s development. Dedicated Intervention Specialists work with your child to detect early signs of delays in one or more areas. These areas include hearing, seeing, moving, thinking, talking, and/or playing. Officials build strategies, then connect families with support and resources with the goal of enhancing the child’s learning and development through everyday activities in everyday places.

Children from birth to age three living in Tuscarawas County who may be demonstrating a developmental delay or health concern may be eligible for TuscBDD services. Services are tailored to meet the needs of the child’s natural learning environment such as in the home or at daycare. Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar places, and the TuscBDD team builds strategies with that in mind.

How does it work?

“Working alongside the child’s caregivers, Early Intervention team members work on finding meaningful opportunities throughout the child’s day to target outcomes important to the family. Children can make significant progress in their development when interacting with people they feel closest to during meaningful play activities,” explained Eva McClave, TuscBDD Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologist. “Working collaboratively at the first stages of a child’s life, the Early Intervention team can help a child establish a strong foundation of skills to best prepare them as they enter preschool.”

These services are provided at no cost to the family and are primarily funded through TuscBDD’s local levy dollars. Team members may include:

• Parents
• Developmental Specialist
• Early Intervention Specialist
• Speech-Language Pathologist
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Health Professionals
• Help Me Grow Service Coordinator

The Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (TuscBDD) has resources for children and adults with developmental disabilities. TuscBDD provides Early Intervention for children birth to three years old, Service and Support Administration for people of all ages, family support services, family mentorship, and more! To learn more about these services and others, visit TuscBDD online at www.tuscbdd.org or call (330) 308-7173.

Audrey Mattevi, Reporting