“Research really supports that the earlier, the better. Waiting means skipping precious months of development, while acting early saves money on special education and other services later in life. But those systems are understaffed and booked up, too, according to speech-language pathologist Sarah Ziemba, an Early Intervention provider in Peoria, Illinois. When children turn 3, the responsibility for providing special education services shifts from Early Intervention to school districts. Waitlists - technically not allowed since all eligible kids are entitled to Early Intervention - have increased dramatically and thousands of providers have left the field, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services. Service delays in Illinois, where Alexander lives, nearly doubled in 2022, according to Chicago-based early childhood advocacy organization Start Early. But now the number of children seeking services has rebounded, and states are struggling to find the staff to meet the needs of families with young children with disabilities, according to Katy Neas of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.įor similar reasons, families were also less likely to request in-person help during the pandemic. has at least one developmental disability or other developmental delay, according to the U.S. She tears up as she recounts how overwhelming the fight to secure access has been.Įarly Intervention was created in 1986 to address developmental delays in children like Alexander as soon as possible. The federally mandated Early Intervention program is plagued by chronic staffing shortages nationwide, leaving thousands of desperate parents frustrated: They know their children need support, they’re aware of proven therapies that could make a difference, but they have to wait for months to get the help they need.Īfter 14 months of phone calls, hours of research and pushing herself to the limit with work and childcare, Garcia finally landed an in-person early intervention appointment, but even then she couldn’t get Alexander all the therapies he needed. I’ll include a tea set and some doll accessories, too.The relief she felt in identifying what he needed was short-lived. My younger daughter is getting the doll high chair along with a play table and chairs for her room. She’s getting that and some stocking stuffers from us, and the Playmobil castle from her grandma. The Wellie Wishers sets are a lot smaller and more affordable, and they are very on brand for her (lots of pink and rainbows). She loves her American Girl dolls, but the accessories and play sets are huge (and expensive). This year, I bought 4 year-old daughter a Wellie Wishers doll and some accessories. Magnatiles are always a hit, my 2 year-old loves her Bitty Baby, and both girls can’t seem to get enough of their Maileg dollhouse. My kids are getting Chase (from Paw Patrol) and Olfa Tonies in their stockings. I got each of my girls a Tonie for their stocking. My girls still use theirs almost every single day. Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Little KidsĪs always, I’m calling the Toniebox audio player one of the best gifts to give this year. So here it is: my holiday gift guide for toddlers and little kids featuring our favorite toys. And, I’ll share some of the gifts my girls are getting this year. I’m early on my gift guides this year since we have our first trip to Disneyland coming up! I’m sharing some of our favorite toys, and what I think are some of the best toys to give this holiday season.
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