How can parents find “early intervention” programs for children 0-5 with spinal cord injuries? - Sara Klaas, MSW

There are many wonderful programs available for young children who sustain spinal cord injuries. An example of that are early intervention programs, or what we call EI. EI programs are available in every state to children with special health care needs for children through the ages of birth and three-years of age. An extension of an early intervention program also runs from three-to five-years of age, for those children who are just preschool age. Parents should be able to get connected with those programs through the social worker at their rehabilitation center, where they are receiving their rehab care, or often times parents will go back and work in their local communities with a school in their neighborhood, or go through an organization that's familiar with early intervention in their particular community. Early Intervention programs are specifically designed to ensure that young children are able to meet all the appropriate developmental milestones for their age. So, those programs provide services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy to help a child be able to ensure that they meet their milestones appropriately. In some cases, early intervention services actually can come to your home, and a physical therapist or occupational therapist may come and evaluate your child in-home and provide services in-home. And other situations, what can happen is you go to a local community center, or school and get your services there 1-2 times a week, depending on the need.