Changing the course of a child’s development
by Crystal
I have exciting news to share from Easter Seals DuPage an the Fox Valley Region: our Make the First Five Count campaign was featured on the front page of the Daily Herald Health and Fitness section this week!
The story said that the National Survey of Children’s Health reports that nearly 25 percent of American children younger than 5 years old are at risk for developmental delays or behavioral problems. Our national Easter Seals Make The First Five Count program is meant to empower parents to ask questions, seek early help and ensure all children have access to early identification and services when needed.
Cara Long, a registered nurse and parent liaison here, was quoted in the story:
“While every child develops at their own pace, certain milestones are important,” says Cara Long, a registered nurse and parent liaison at Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region, an accredited outpatient pediatric rehabilitation center with locations in Villa Park, Naperville and Elgin. “These milestones are important because they are good indicators of possible language, motor skill, social/emotional or cognitive delays, autism or other learning disabilities.”
Several children from Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region were featured in the story, including Charlie Krupka, Ivy Joy Knight and Charlie Feuerborn. Tara Kehoe, our Manager of Speech Therapy was quoted in the story along with Cara Long.
Cara spoke for all of us when she told reporters that parents should follow their instincts. If a child misses a milestone or if something doesn’t feel quite right, it might indicate a problem and be a signal to call the child’s pediatrician. Cara explained that decades of research show early experiences play a vital role in brain development, and early intervention services can change the course of a child’s development.