Jessica Mattson knew something was not right with her son’s development when he was a year old. But she wasn’t sure where to turn, especially since her pediatrician thought Ben was doing fine. Eventually, with encouragement from a cousin, Jessica sought help through her school district’s early intervention team, leading to identification of Ben’s special needs and appropriate services to help him learn and develop as fully as possible. Although every child and parent’s experience is unique, Jessica’s story highlights the concern and confusion many parents feel, the relief and hope that appropriate services bring, and the longterm success that is possible when a young child receives appropriate assessment and early intervention. Jessica represents Help Me Grow in this heartfelt discussion that will help you and other parents know where to turn when you have concerns about your child.

 

Have you or someone you know navigated the early intervention system for a child with special needs? How was that experience for parents and child? In Minnesota (and several other states around the U.S.), how does Help Me Grow support parents who have questions or concerns about their young child’s development? Leave a comment below!

 

For a visual self-regulation scale, click here.

To learn more about PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), click here.

For another good PECS resource for families, click here.

For milestones of what children can commonly do from three months to age 5, click here.

For early childhood screening information, click here.