Children's Early Intervention Services

Bright Beginnings provides Early Intervention services, through First Steps, to participating families. There are fifteen different services available for children birth to three years of age through First Steps. Bright Beginnings provides six of them. They can also direct you to each county's System Point of Entry, the place to start if you are interested in obtaining services for your child.

Bright Beginnings Services include:

Evaluation

Our qualified therapists provide comprehensive evaluations for children referred by First Steps. The evaluations check six areas of development:

• Cognitive Skills
• Gross Motor Skills
• Fine Motor Skills
• Language/Communication Skills
• Self Help Skills
• Socialization Skills

Developmental Therapy

The Developmental Therapist, trained in early childhood education, provides experiences and activities that help children enhance their skills in all developmental areas. Play Therapy, the use of activities and exercises, allows children to build upon strengths and to attain important developmental milestones. Therapy is provided in the natural environment of the parent's choice. Therapists can work closely with other disciplines to provide consistent and continuous support to children and their families. Developmental Therapy may focus on all areas of development in each session.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy services are designed to promote strong gross motor and balance skills. Therapists, specialized in pediatric therapy, work with families to assist their children in sitting, crawling, walking, running and jumping, as needed. The Physical Therapist can assist in selecting, designing, and fabricating assistive and orthopedic devices when necessary.

Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapist offers activities and recommends environmental adaptations designed to improve fine motor and self-help skills like self feeding and dressing. Occupational therapy also addresses sensory integration issues - sensitivity to taste, touch, sound, and smell. Therapists are specially trained in pediatrics to attend to children's special needs.

Speech/Language Therapy

Speech/Language Therapy identifies and diagnoses communicative disorders or delays and supplies therapeutic intervention to address any concerns. Therapists work with language development and oral motor skills, like drinking from a bottle. Through planned activities with the child and instruction for the family, a home program is provided to guide parents in assisting the development of the child.

Bright Beginnings Child Care Services

Bright Beginnings Child Care offers ongoing early childhood education by credentialed caregivers, skilled in Child Development, First Aid, Universal Precautions, Infant and Toddler CPR, Health, Safety, Nutrition, and FUN. The center, located in Tell City, Indiana, is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm. Bright Beginnings Child Care serves children ages one through twelve, and includes School-Age Child Care. The center is equipped to serve children with special needs, and also accepts Child Care Assistance Vouchers. Bright Beginnings children are cared for in an environment that enhances overall growth and development.

DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING

All children develop at their own rate, but there are some guidelines for parents to follow in keeping track of their children's skills:

• Birth to three months
• Four to six months
• Seven to nine months
• Ten to twelve months
• Thirteen to fifteen months
• Sixteen to eighteen months
• Nineteen months to 2 years old
• Twenty-five to 30 months old
• Thirty months to thirty-six months old