Even though each child develops at his/her own pace, your child should be able to do the same things other children the same age are doing. However, this may not be true if your child was born prematurely, with low birth weight or with special needs. If you have questions about your child's development, or would like more information, we encourage you to contact us.

Each year there are children born with medical problems, handicapping conditions or special needs. Such conditions are not always easy to discover because not all children do the same things at the same ages.

The early childhood years are critical ones; children begin to notice the world, explore, relate to others and begin to speak. This is often the best time to begin intervention because this is when many skills normally first appear. Most basic language, physical and social skills are learned before two years of age.

To assist parents and their children in our communities, a large network has been formed called the Brown County Interagency Early Intervention Committee.

Who Should Be Referred?

Children from birth to three years of age:

1. with possible developmental delays in speech/language, motor, cognitive or social/emotional areas.
2. with a medical condition or syndrome that may hinder normal development (for example, Down syndrome, hearing/vision impairments, cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, prenatal drug exposure, spina bifida, hydrocephaly, microcephaly, muscle control disorders, bleeding in the brain and chronic lung disease).
3. with an increased risk of developmental delays due to multiple biological or environmental risk factors, such as low birth weight, prematurity, failure to thrive, inadequate health care, family instability or low income, disturbed parent-child interactions, family isolation or lack of support.