Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority Brazos Valley ¤ P. O. Box 4588 ¤ Bryan, TX 77805

MHMR Crisis Hotline : 1-888-522-8262

The changes babies and toddlers go through are made up of different skills, like walking and talking.  These skills, or developmental milestones, usually happen by certain ages.

Although each child is special and develops at his or her own pace, watching to see when your child reaches these milestones can help you know how your child is developing.

If you have concerns about how your child is growing and learning, talk to your child’s doctor, or contact

ECI / First Steps Forward Program

979-821-9478

Texas Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Program DARS Inquiry Line

1-800-628-5115

The ECI TDD/TTY Line

1-866-581-9328

¨      What is Early Childhood Intervention?

¨      Developmental Milestones – What is Developmental Delay?

¨      What do Families Say about ECI?

¨      How can ECI help my family?

¨      What are ECI Services?

WHAT IS…

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)

Children grow and learn, or develop, a lot during their first three years.  Although each child is special and grows and learns at his or her own pace, some children need extra help.  This extra help is called Early Childhood Intervention.

 Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) helps babies and toddlers, ages birth to 3, with disabilities or delays in their development.  ECI supports families through education and family services to help their children reach their potential.  Families and staff work as a team to develop a plan outlining services for their child and family.  Together, they plan appropriate activities.  Services are provided in home and community settings and help children learn basic skills as part of their family’s daily routine.

 There are local Early Childhood Intervention programs all over Texas that help babies and toddlers, ages birth to 3, with disabilities or delays in their development.  They help your child during the first three years of life.  This help can make a difference.

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

 ¨     I’m 3 months old!   I…

¨      Turn toward bright colors and lights

¨      Follow moving toys or faces with my eyes

¨      Recognize or know the bottle or breast

¨      Respond to loud or new sounds

¨      Reach for and grasp toys or hair

¨      Wiggle and kick with legs and arms

¨      Lift my head and shoulders up while on my stomach

¨      Smile back at my parents or other family members

¨      Make sounds, like gurgling, cooing or babbling 

 ¨     I’m 6 months old!  I…

¨      Turn toward voices

¨      Reach for toys and pick them up

¨      Roll over front-to-back and back-to-front

¨      Play with my toes

¨      Know faces of my family

¨      Babble, squeal, and repeat vowel sounds, like ooh, -ae, -e

¨      Sit by leaning on my hand

¨     I’m 9 months old!  I…

¨      Copy sounds or gestures

¨      Reach for crumbs or other small things with my thumb and fingers

¨      Move toys from one hand to the other hand

¨      Support myself with my straightened arms when I’m on my stomach

¨      Sit unassisted

¨     I’m 12 m onths old!  I…

¨      Respond to my name

¨      May be scared of strangers

¨      Look for an object if you hide it from me, even if I can’t see it

¨      Crawl on my hands and knees

¨      Pull myself to a standing position

¨      Walk by holding onto furniture

¨      Can drink from a cup with your help

¨      Enjoy playing games, like peek-a-boo or patty cake

¨      Say 1 to 2 words

¨     I’m 15 months old!  I…

¨      Use gestures

¨      Like to look at pictures in a book

¨      Can hold a crayon in a fist

¨      Hand toys to you when you ask me

¨      Can point to pictures you name, if the things in the picture are familiar to me

¨      Walk alone without help          

¨  I’m 18 months old! I…

¨      Like to pull and push things

¨      Follow simple directions

¨      Pull off shoes and socks

¨      Feed myself sometimes

¨      Step off low objects and keep balance

¨      Turn 2 to 3 pages of a book at a time

¨      Can points to one body part

¨      Can name one object

¨      Like to copy your words or actions

¨     I’m 21 months old!  I…

¨      Can name 2 objects

¨      Like to pretend-play

¨      Can put together a simple picture puzzle if it has only 2 or 3 large pieces

¨      Like to throw balls

¨      Like to play alone with toys for a short time

¨      Say “No” a lot

¨ I’m 24 months old!  I…

¨      Use 2 to 3 words together, like “no, Mommy” or “More cookies”

¨      Feed myself with a spoon

¨      Turn one page at a time

¨      Points to hair, eyes and nose when someone asks me

¨      Show affection to family members and pets

¨      Run short distances without falling

¨     I’m 36 months old!  I…

¨      Answer simple questions

¨      Walk up steps, alternating feet

¨      Put my clothes on by myself

¨      Open simple containers

¨      Like to play with other children

¨      Repeat simple rhymes and songs

¨      Use 3 to 5 word sentences

¨      Name at least one color correctly

¨      Jump in place

WHAT IS…

Developmental Delay?

The changes babies and toddlers go through are made up of different skills, such as walking and talking.  These skills, or developmental milestones, usually happen by certain ages.  A child with developmental delay is behind others the same age in one or more of the following areas:

v     Cognitive development, or reasoning skills, such as knowing how to search for a lost toy or make a toy move

v     Physical development, such as crawling or picking up a small object

v     Language or speech, such as talking or communicating with others

v     Self-help skills, such as eating, drinking or potty training  

A child also is eligible for ECI services if a doctor diagnoses a physical or mental condition that will probably result in developmental delay.

WHAT DO FAMILIES SAY ABOUT ECI?

 “ECI has really helped me with my child.  When I don’t know how to help them, they’re always there with more ideas.  I do not know where my child and I would be today without ECI.”

 “The ECI people have been very helpful and caring when it came to answering questions and calming my fears about her speech development.  They are always ready to help and listen to our needs as a family and for my child.”

 “I don’t know how my child will grow and develop, but with the skills and help ECI gives, he learns more and more each day.”

 “Having the help from ECI has helped me learn the things to do to help my child.”

 “I have learned many things from the ECI staff who worked with my son.  But the most important thing is not to give up.”

 “ECI is helping a lot of our little children do things that people said they never would.”

 “The ECI staff show me how to work with my child in the smallest steps.  They have taught him how to sit up, climb, eat, work puzzles and make sounds toward talking.”

HOW CAN ECI HELP MY FAMILY?

Early childhood intervention promotes a child’s development.  Staff from your local ECI program will work with your child and teach your family how to help your child reach his or her potential through education and therapy services. 

We know it may be hard for a busy family with many challenges to focus on their child’s development.  So, ECI coordinates services for the child enrolled in ECI and helps members of the family if it will help the child’s development.

WHAT ARE ECI SERVICES?

 Services written in a family’s plan are activities needed to help their child grow and learn.  Each family will have a different plan, according to what is needed for their child.  Services help children learn basic skills as part of their family’s daily routines.   

SERVICES FOR CHILDREN COULD INCLUDE:

v     Screenings and assessments, or identifying your child’s strengths, developmental needs and your  family’s concerns.

v     Physical, occupational, speech and language therapy

v     Consultation with therapists

v     Activities to develop learning and eating skills

v     Activities to help social and emotional development

v     Assistive technology, or services and equipment designed or changed for special use by children with developmental delays

v     Transportation to ECI services

v     Moving on to school or other services as needed at age 3 or when graduating from the program

v    Nutritional services

v     Supporting child care or preschool teachers of enrolled children

SERVICES FOR FAMILIES COULD INCLUDE: 

v     Help finding needed social and health services 

v     Support groups

Services are provided in the home and community settings with other children according to each child’s individual needs.  ECI must provide support so your child’s services can be provided where he or she lives, learns and plays. 

Being in the ECI program is voluntary.  If you child is eligible and you decide to enroll in the program, you are encouraged to be involved when planning services.  ECI programs work closely with families on a team to provide or arrange for services.  Services begin when the team agrees to the plan. 

Speak up when you are first learning about ECI and thinking about services.  Ask questions or talk about your concerns to better help your child. 

1-800-2628-5151

OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis