Idaho CareLine: In Idaho, Dial 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588
Early Intervention Services
The Idaho Infant Toddler Program provides early intervention services including educational and therapeutic services designed to increase the ability of families to nurture and meet specific needs of infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
The Infant Toddler Program uses proven techniques that include providing services in a child's "natural learning environment" such as their home or child care setting. The focus is on helping parents and other caregivers learn new ways to promote their child's learning throughout the day using the activities the child and family already enjoy doing together.
The goals of the services are to enhance the child's development and to reduce the child's delay in development. Types of services that may be available include:
Early intervention is critical during the first three years of a child's life while the foundation for communication, movement, social, and self-care skills are developing. Providing services early may reduce or eliminate the need for other costly services later.
How Families Connect with Services
If you think your child has a developmental delay and you have questions, call the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588.
A screening or in-depth evaluation would determine if the child's development is slower than other children his or her age. The evaluation looks at the child's development in areas such as physical, including vision and hearing; learning; social/emotional; speech and language; and self-help skills such as feeding, dressing and toileting.
This evaluation is provided at no cost to the family, and families must give permission. The evaluation helps to determine if the child needs early intervention services and, if eligible, to decide the best type of services for the child and family.
Special Needs
There are many benefits to getting the necessary services and resources for a child with special needs. In Idaho, there are many resources for parents of children with special needs:
Additional Resources
New Visions for Parents, a Parent's Guide to Understanding Developmental Assessment.
Family Village — Includes information and resources for specific diagnoses and parent-to-parent support group information.
For Parents of Preemies or Para los padres del bebé prematuro — Answers to commonly asked questions by parents of premature infants.
Testing for a Healthy Baby — The Newborn Screening Program identifies infants who may have one of the uncommon birth defects for which this program screens. This article answers questions and encourages participation to help assure all babies will be as healthy as possible.