The Early Start program is a global intervention program designed for children 12 to 36 months of age who display developmental delays. It is funded through California Regional Centers.
What to Expect
Children in the Coyne Early Start Program receive individualized 1:1 intervention to address areas of need such as language development, social skills, cognitive development, self-help skills, and behavior management.
Each child’s Early Start treatment plan is individualized to address his/her specific needs as described in the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), and indicated by additional standardized and behavioral assessments. Skills are broken down into smaller steps and taught systematically to facilitate maximum progress. Intervention is provided in children’s homes to capitalize on skill building in the most natural and familiar environment.
Parents are crucial partners in the intervention process; they are involved in practicing new skills with their children, as well as learning to implement various teaching techniques to accelerate their children’s skill development.
Program Requirements
To be enrolled in the Early Start program, a child must meet specific eligibility criteria in terms of the degree of developmental delay in various domain areas. Specifically, a child must show a “significant difference” (i.e., a 33% delay or higher) in one or more of the following developmental areas: cognitive development, physical/motor development, language development (expressive or receptive), social-emotional development, or adaptive development.
What’s the First Step?
Parents who are concerned with their child’s rate of development should contact their local Regional Center intake department. Once the intake referral has been made, Regional Center will evaluate your child to determine eligibility for Early Start intervention services.
Early Start Services
Speech/Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy
Within the Coyne Early Start intervention program, we offer consultative services from licensed Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Occupational Therapists (OTs).