Early Intervention is a program that helps children from birth to 3 years old who experience developmental delays. It is funded in part by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and is comprised of:
- Physical and occupational therapists
- Speech therapists
- Social workers
- Teachers
A range of conditions may cause delays in children from hearing and speech difficulties to disabilities such as Downs syndrome and autism.
Virtua’s Early Intervention Program (EIP) provides a variety of therapeutic and support services to help infants and toddlers who have developmental delays. Virtua’s EIP specialists evaluate children at home or in other environments, such as childcare sites, to determine if they are experiencing developmental delays. Parents do not need a physician referral to access the service.
Based on the findings, the evaluation team creates an individual family service plan to help children develop to their fullest potential.
The evaluation team assesses the following:
- Adaptive or self-help skills such as dressing and feeding
- Learning abilities and play development
- Communication skills including speech, language and comprehension
- Gross-motor skills such as body movement, walking and crawling
- Fine-motor skills such as small-body movement and hand/finger use
- Sensory development including the ability to receive information through touch, hearing, sight and movements
- Social and emotional development including interactions with children, adults and the environment
To be eligible, children must be 3 years old or under and have a 25% delay in two areas of development or a 33% delay in one area.
Virtua’s Early Intervention Program is funded in part by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Family Service and EIP with funds from part C of the individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
For more information about Virtua’s Early Intervention Program or to locate an EIP in other surrounding counties, call 1-888-VIRTUA-3 (1-888-847-8823).