“Aspire has been the biggest blessing in having an infant with a disability. I've been encouraged as a parent and been able to learn so much to help our child.”  Research shows that more learning and development occurs in a child’s first three years than at any other time in their lives. Children grow and develop new skills quickly, so it is critical for your child with developmental delays or disabilities that the correct plan of care is in place from the beginning in order to set your child up for success and provide them with optimal care to prevent any further delays. The Birth to 3 Program is a federally mandated Early Intervention program to support families of children under the age of 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. While Birth to 3 is a great program, it does have its short-comings, and additional outpatient services should be considered in most cases. Once enrolled in Birth to 3, your team will help to develop an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) which could include special education services; physical, occupational, speech therapy; or service coordination. The services you receive—including in what way, how often, and how long—are based on the individual goals and outcomes of the child. It’s important to realize that all activities in the IFSP are provided to your family using Wisconsin’s Birth to 3 Program coaching approach where the early intervention practitioner is a coach rather than a direct therapy provider. This means that the therapist will verbally direct you, as a parent, how to play, move, or position your child instead of providing consistent, hands-on treatment. While the coaching-only model is a great approach for some parents, others may feel that they need more frequent help, or that their current plan is just not working. It is important to advocate for your child and communicate clearly to your team when things aren’t working as they should. Furthermore, since Birth to 3 is a federally funded program, there are numerous children who receive services in each county. In order to serve so many children, we have observed that in general, more than one discipline will not be appointed for the same child unless there is extreme need. In most cases there is a “main” therapist who provides the most necessary services and receives guidance from other disciplines, providing that education on their behalf. For example, if your child’s main challenge is speaking - but your child is also developmentally delayed and not walking - a speech therapist will be the primary therapist and provide education from the physical therapist on the child’s treatment team. Most families do not realize they can supplement Birth to 3 with other services. In a recent survey asking current families who participated in Birth to 3, 100% of responses stated they had no idea that they could supplement their therapy with outpatient services and were given no additional support or resources to help navigate the next steps. One family said, “I felt like I was supported in getting help with Birth to 3, but then kind of thrown out into the world to find additional services on my own.”  At Aspire, we feel that it is important to provide high-quality, hands-on intervention to your child during this crucial period of early development. We aim to incorporate parents into each session, and ensure that you are confident with the education that we provide, giving you ample time to practice and ask questions during our sessions. We evaluate your child and develop a plan of care that suits your individual needs and create a treatment plan that allows us to adapt our care depending on where your child is. Weekly appointments give us the opportunity to make frequent changes as your child develops and masters new skills to maximize their potential.
Don’t just take our word for it. Here is what some parents have said about our services: “While our (Birth to 3) OT was amazing, having you in our lives made me realize we should have taken on actual PT much sooner. Thank you for everything, you help give me so much more confidence as a mom than you probably realize and we are so thankful for you! ” “Aspire has been the biggest blessing in having an infant with a disability. I've been encouraged as a parent and been able to learn so much to help our child.” If your child is under 3, and…
...call Aspire for a free screening! Aspire accepts all local major insurance plans, Medicaid, and offers private pay options. We also offer FREE consultations and screenings in person or by phone. Call us at (608) 556-6120 or email info@aspirewisconsin.com for more information! Comments are closed.
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September 2021
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