Why Early Intervention Matters
If you or your pediatrician has concerns about your toddler’s speech-language development, early intervention is important to helping a toddler’s growth and development. When a toddler has a speech-language delay, parents sometimes wait until the next well-check doctor’s appointment to express their concern or wait until the child “grows out of it.”
If you think about it, waiting 6 months for an 18 month old to “grow out of it” is a good percentage of the child’s life. “When in doubt, check it out” is my motto when it comes to children’s speech-language development.
Birth to three services are available throughout the country. Sometimes the program is called Birth to Three, Early Childhood Intervention, or Early Intervention.
In Wisconsin, each county contracts with a provider to provide birth to three services. The out of pocket expense uses a Parental Cost Share System, which means families who are determined to be financially able to are expected to contribute towards the services. The agency will bill the child’s insurance. Any co-pays and deductibles may apply.
Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks. SpeechWorks helps toddlers through teens in Oconomowoc, Dousman, Delafield, Ixonia, Watertown, Hartland, Pewaukee, and Waukesha become confident communicators. If you have concerns about your child’s speech-language development, contact SpeechWorks at 262-490-5653.
