Early On

Purpose

Early On is designed to support families with children (birth to three years) who have developmental delays or disabilities. The goals are to:

Identify and evaluate possible developmental delays or disabilities in children,
Help families better understand and work with their child,
Enhance the growth and development of infants and toddlers.

Program

The program is based on a team evaluation and development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) with goals and objectives determined jointly by staff and parents.

The IFSP goals are developed in areas of:

Cognition (problem-solving skills)
Speech and Language
Fine Motor (hand/eye coordination skills)
Oral Motor (feeding and pre-speech skills)
Gross Motor
Social/Emotional Development
Self-help Skills

Services

Early On provides the following specific services:

Multidisciplinary evaluation of the child's growth and development
Ongoing referral assistance to appropriate medical and social services
Home visits to support the child and family
Parent-child playgroup opportunities

Staff

Special Education Teachers
Speech and Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Psychologists
Social Workers
Vision Impaired Consultants
Hearing Impaired Consultants
Service Coordinators
Teacher Consultants for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Referral Procedure

Any child, from birth to three years old, who is suspected of having a developmental delay may be referred. Please contact Perla Sanchez at 616-796-1757. You may also fill out an online referral by selecting Early On under Parent Information/Links, and completing the Referral Form found on the right side of the page.