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PCOE
PCOE

Infant Development Program
PCOE Public Facing Web Site

 INFANT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

INFANT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

 Overview

 

The Infant Development Program provides early intervention supports and services to families through visits in the home, the community or where the family spends their day. The Infant Program intervention team works together with the family and child to assist the child’s development and learning in their natural daily activities and builds on the next steps in the child’s learning. Services and supports are designed to assist the parent to understand their child’s development and how to facilitate their child’s development.​

About the Program

​The PCOE Infant Development Program provides family-centered, relationship-based early intervention services designed to build upon and provide supports and services to assist parents to enhance their child’s development within the context of the family’s everyday learning opportunities.

Focus/Goals

  • Enhance the development of infants and toddlers within everyday family activities that engage the caregiver/child dyad in their interests, and also provide learning opportunities for the child to practice existing abilities, learn new abilities and explore their social and nonsocial surroundings.

  • Build upon the capacity of the family to understand and foster their child’s development by supporting the families’ competence and confidence.

  • ​Support and encourage parent engagement with their children to build responsive, positive relationships.​

 Information

 Eligibility Criteria

​Developmental Delay

A developmental delay exists if there is a significant difference between the infant or toddler's current level of functioning and the expected level of development for his or her age in one or more of the following developmental areas:

  • ​Cognitive
  • Physical: including fine and gross motor, vision and hearing
  • Communication
  • Social or emotional
  • Adaptive

Early Start defines eligibility due to a developmental delay as a 33 percent delay in one developmental area before 24 months of age, or at 24 months of age or older, either a delay of 50 percent in one developmental area or a 33 percent delay in two or more developmental areas. The age for use in the determination of eligibility due to a developmental delay for Early Start shall be the age of the infant or toddler on the date of the initial referral to the Early Start program.

Established Risk

  • An established risk condition exists when an infant or toddler has a condition of known etiology which has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay or:
  • ​An established risk condition exists when an infant or toddler has a solely low incidence disability: hearing loss, visional impairment, combination of hearing and vision impairment or orthopedic impairment.

 DHH for Infants and Toddlers

​​Our Program/Our Mission

​The PCOE Infant Program provides home-based and parent participation groups for families with children from birth to age three. Our goal is to ensure all children have access to language during this critical period for language development. We provide support to families from the moment their child is diagnosed with hearing loss through their journey of raising a Deaf or Hard of Hearing child.

​​Family Choice - Child Led

​We respect that all families and children are unique. Our program provides instruction in American Sign Language (ASL) as well as using listening and spoken language development. Both modalities benefit children. Following your child's lead,  you will be supported in your decision to choose one modality or both. We offer children and families all the tools in the toolfox for a strong foundaiton.​

​​​Our Staff

The DHH Multi-disciplinary team consists of highly skilled professionals providing a variety of services.

  • ​Teachers of the Deaf
  • Speech Language Pathologists
  • Educational Audiologists
  • Physical Therapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Vision Specialists
  • Early Childhood Special Educators
  • Deaf Coaches
  • Spanish Interpreters

Home Visit Program

Parents and the DHH Early Intervention team work side-by-side sing evidence based practices and developmentally appropriate activities to promote language, speech development, social/emotional skills, sensory processing, cognition, ealry literacy, and moter develooment. Research supports providing services for infants and toddlers in their natural environment such as home, childcare, and community settings during your familily's everyday routines. Services, frequency, and collaboration with other agencies (including medical providers) are determined through the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and based on each child's individual needs.

​Parent-Child Participation Programs

Our parent participation playgroups at our school site follows best practices for teaching young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children. Our groups are thematic, play-based, and language focused. Families can choose the listening/spoken language group or the bilingual/bimodal sign language/english group. Language promoting strategies are modeled by staff and practiced by families to make all experiences rich in language. Groups include a music program, gross moter and sensory activities, oral motor practice, speech and language opportunities and a time for parent education and connection. Many families attend both groups depending on parent choice and child preference.

 ​PALS - ASL English Bilingual/Bimodal Group

​This group is designed to develop language skills in both American Sign Language and English. We focus on the two language modalities (spoken and signed) separately to ensure both languages are being modeled accurately. Deaf adults attend and contribute to each session as language and role models.

Little Listeners - Listening for Spoken Language Group

​This group is designed to develop listening and spoken language skills. We focus on building spoken vocabulary , work on specific speech sounds, and increasing function. The emphasis is on listening, identifying, discriminating, and following verbal directions.

Deaf Coach Program

Our Deaf Coach program provides families a natural connection with the Deaf community to help the child and the family develop positive attitudes about being Deaf or Hard of Hearing. If families request, Deaf Coaches are available to come to the home and work with the whole family. Deaf coaching supports may include; teaching American Sign Language (ASL), sharing experiences of growing up Deaf or Hard of Hearing, how to successfully navigate the hearing world, personal experiences using hearing aids or cochlear implants and introducing the family to Deaf Culture.

​Sensory Integration and Balance Support

​An Occupational Therapist is on staff and available during playgroups to address any sensory or motor needs, particularly in the area of vestibular (movement) processing. Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing are more likely to have difficulties with their vestibular processing system that can affect balance, attention, reading (scanning & visual gaze stabilization), and emotional regulation.

​Staff Training and Certification

​Staff are fully licensed and/or credentialed in their are of specialty. Staff are current in the latest research-based educational approaches and best practices in all areas of development with special focus on Deaf and Hard of Hearing infants and toddlers.

Transition to Preschool Services

A series of coordinated transition activities are designed to assist the receiving school distirct in developing a comprehensive transition to appropriate services at the age of three. This may include opportunities for district staff to consult with PCOE staff and observe the child

PCOE DHH Infant and Toddler Program uses researched based curriculums that focuses on a variety of topics related to infant toddler development. Specific topics include:

  • Communication Opportunities (American Sign Language) and (Spoken Sign Language)
  • Language Development
  • Hearing Levels/Loss
  • Listening Skills
  • Auditory Development
  • Simulated audiological sound booth testing
  • Amplification (hearing aids, cochlear implants, HAT systems, etc.)
  • Deaf Culture
  • Natural Environments
  • Daily Routines
  • Early Literacy
  • Sign Systems
  • Play Skills

 Supports and Services

Services are provided with consideration of:

  • ​A family-centered approach, acknowledging the uniqueness of each family while strengthening what is already happening in everyday activities and building on ways families help their child learn. The early intervention staff will coach the family in ways to assist their child's development based on what the family is already doing during their daily activities, what happens during the school day, and at what times and activities support is needed​

  • ​A relationship based approach by providing intervention within the parent/child relationship which is known to have the greatest results. The intervention strategies will build on everyday routines and activities and give the family the tools and what are the next steps to do in a daily activity to facilitate development

  • ​A Transdisciplinary team approach to provide the family and child access to a team of highly trained intervention staff who then collaborate on intervention strategies;The family's resources, concerns and priorities about their child and their family in relationship to their child's development, the developmental strengths and needs of the child, and the functional outcomes development

  • ​Providing meaningful support to parents

  • ​How young children learn:

    • ​​All day, every day

    • With lots of practice to learn their skills

    • When they are interested and engaged in their daily learning activities

    • Through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts

    • When they are planning and interacting with family members and toys - these are tools for learning

    • Where they will be using skills in the activities of everyday life will performing their daily routines

    • When parents and interventionists work together and share ideas about how to support and extend the child's learning

​Assessment and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

​Developmental assessments are provided in gross motor, fine motor, vision, hearing, cognitive, language, social-emotional and adaptive domains. An Individualized Family Service Plan outlines the child’s strengths and needs, the family’s resources, concerns and priorities for their child’s development and family in relation to their child’s development, functional outcomes and services and supports.

Services in the Natural Environment

​Young children learn from their family and from their interactions and play throughout their day in their everyday routines and activities.

Intervention is provided in everyday family and community activity settings which provide children educational learning experiences and opportunities that strengthen and promote child competence and development.  Educational activities are practiced in a variety of family and community settings.

Benefits of providing services within the family’s natural routines are that:

 

  • ​​The parent will know how they can assist their child's development and learning throughout the day/week/month within their daily learning opportunities

  • ​The parent will understand what is working for the parent and child throughout the day and where are the struggles

  • The parent will understand which natural daily routines can be learning opportunities

  • Parents and interventionists work together with the child in the intervention activity and will discuss and demonstrate what are the next steps for the child's development

  • Parents will identify what information and support may be helpful

  • Together the service providers and parents will talk about how to make the most of opportunities that already occur during their day

  • Services will strengthen what is already happening in everyday activities and ways parents are helping their child learn

  • Participation and interaction in daily routines facilitates child growth and development across developmental domains

 

Intervention is provided by a Transdisciplinary team highly qualified in the fields of early childhood special education, child development, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing, vision, assistive technology.

​Transition Services

​A transition plan is developed to assist children transitioning from infant to preschool services at 2 1/2 years of age.​

 FAQ's

 

WHERE ARE DHH STUDENT LOCATIONS?

Students are taught in district general education settings, charter school programs, district special education programs, county special education programs, Home Hospital Instruction (HHI), or in the PCOE Regional DHH program.​​​​​

DOES PCOE OFFER ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES?

PCOE has a department focused on providing a wide variety of assistive technology devices to help children excel on an academic and personal level. From adaptive desks to special computer software, we have the tools your child deserves.​

 

I HAVE AN INFANT WITH A DISABILITY. DOES PCOE OFFER SUPPORT?​

PCOE offers amazing support and services for infants with disabilities. Our team works with the family to establish the proper development of their child. Our relationship-based approach guides children and parents through normal everyday activities, and ensures they're ready for the next phase of development.​​

 Contact List

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     Quotations

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    "One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world"​

    ​-Malala Yousafzai