Early Childhood Assessment Services, LLC

Wishing you all a safe, happy and WARM holiday!!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours !

Today is World Prematurity Day, a day to raise awareness of preterm birth, the complications that can arise with preterm births and how to support families of preterm birth.

As a mom of triplets born at 29 weeks this is close to my heart. When I found out I was having triplets I was both elated and scared. Being in the field I knew they would be premature and I was aware of all the complications that could result in preterm births. However, due to the amazing care of my doctors, the NICU staff and specialist afterwards, my children are healthy and thriving 13 years later. I am forever thankful for the ongoing awareness, research, advocacy and education that organizations such as the March of Dimes provide. Please check out the link for more information
https://www.marchofdimes.org/mission/world-prematurity-day.aspx

If you have a child born preterm, most likely you will be referred to have an evaluation with early intervention. We are here to help guide you through the most precious stages of development and provide support as needed. Call today to schedule your evaluation 610-277-7176 or https://ecasevals.com/contact-us/

Whether you are a new parent or a seasoned one you are aware of all the equipment options available for babies. Swings, bouncy chairs, floor seats, walkers and jumpers are just naming few. While most of these products (or containers) may make parents feel the baby is working on skills, they actually can prevent or hinder proper development.

Using containers in small increments is fine but when overused they can delay motor milestones such as rolling, sitting and standing. The best place for a baby to build strength, coordination and appropriate motor movements is on the floor and during tummy time. We understand that some babies struggle with tummy time so here is a great link describing other ways to fit in tummy time throughout your daily routines.

https://ecasevals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/tummy-time-tools-english.pdf

Worried your child may not be reaching motor milestones then contact us for a FREE evaluation https://ecasevals.com/contact-us/

Sleep is essential for the foundation of healthy development. Your body does so much when you sleep, even more so for babies and children. There are many ways adequate sleep helps children such as reducing stress, maintaining healthy habits and even making learning easier. Since babies and children need so much sleep, especially in the first few years of life, napping is a good way to make sure they are getting the sleep they need.

Here is a great resource describing how naps help and what schedules could look like at each age range.

https://pathways.org/how-to-make-sure-baby-gets-the-nap-time-they-need/

If you have concerns with your child’s ability to soothe to sleep, stay asleep or possibly not be getting enough sleep please contact your pediatrician or early intervention provider to schedule an evaluation.
**Montgomery County, PA contact 610-277-7176 for a free evaluation

Thursday Tips 😄

A child’s development, especially during the first year, can change so much in just a week. Each day is a learning opportunity and a step towards reaching each milestone. Therefore, when referring to developmental milestone charts ALWAYS remember to look at skills/milestones at the END of the month to allow appropriate time to develop the skills. If your child was premature then adjust the age accordingly.

Here is a link for month by month milestones.

https://ecasevals.com/developmental-milestones/

Have a safe and happy holiday🎆

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there!! Enjoy your day.

Tummy time…an essential activity in the development of motor, visual and sensory skills. However, once your child begins to roll it may be challenging to keep them on their belly. Here is a fabulous link outlining ways to keep your baby in his/her tummy longer.

https://pathways.org/baby-rolling-over-during-tummy-time/

The lack of tummy time can result in a developmental delay in one or more areas. Reach out to you pediatrician or early intervention agency if you feel your child is behind the developmental milestones.

**Montgomery County call 610-277-7176
Currently scheduling in July

🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day🇺🇸

There are many early developing skills that contribute to speech and language development, spoken words are typically the last to develop. During the first year, a child is working on building a strong foundation with early skills that include responsiveness to sounds/words, gesturing (pointing/reaching) and imitation. This foundation builds the stepping stones for later developing skills. This link provides an easy reference to understand what needs to occur before spoken words.

https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/01

All of these skills are important. If your child has all these in place then he/she is on a good path. If you feel your child is missing foundation skills, then call early Intervention for an evaluation.