Stories of People Inc.
Get Your Child on the Right Track
Get your child on the right track - Early Intervention
People Inc.'s dynamic Early Intervention Program offers a variety of in-home therapeutic services to children birth to age three. Services include occupational, physical, and speech therapies; special education, infant massage, social work, and service coordination. People Inc.'s Early Intervention Department has grown and we now have 12 specific Early Intervention service coordinators with extensive backgrounds in working with children and families.
All therapy services are provided under contract with Erie County's Early Intervention Program at no cost to the family. Once the child is determined to be eligible to receive services due to a diagnosed condition or documented delay in development, the county secures those services from People Inc. The Early Intervention Service Coordinators work with families to determine services that would be most effective in fostering their child's development. Early Intervention coordinators also provide crisis intervention and coordinate the provision of early intervention and other services that the infant or toddler may need or is receiving. In the Service Provision unit, the typical therapy session starts with the parent and child meeting the therapist at the door. When the child spies the "bag of goodies," the fun begins! In reality, the therapist arrives with his/her work tools, disguised as a variety of toys or playthings. These tools are used to meet a variety of objectives including working on motor skills or language development. The parents are a vital part of the Early Intervention Program and the therapist gives the parent an assignment to follow through on the goals addressed in the therapy session.
For more information on the Early Intervention Program, contact Maryann Stry, People Inc. Early Intervention program manager, at 716.874.5600, or Erie County's Early Intervention Program at 716.858.6161. For Service Coordination, contact Joanne Haberer, Early Intervention Medicaid Service Coordination program administrator, at 716.880.3700.
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