What is early intervention? What services do you provide?

Sunny Days in Pennsylvania provides occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, special education, and nutrition services to eligible families. These early intervention services are at no cost to the family. They provide support to the adults in a child's life to help meet developmental milestones and reach the goals that you set for your child and family.

Who is eligible for early intervention services?

Every child in Pennsylvania is eligible for an early intervention evaluation. During the evaluation it will be determined if your child is eligible for ongoing services to address developmental concerns. The evaluation results show eligibility if a child has a 25% delay. This is not a referral program from a pediatrician.

How do I get started/where do I start?

The first step is to have Sunny Days make a referral. Give us a call and let us know your concerns, your goals, and some basic demographic information and we will make the referral to the appropriate county office for you. The county office will connect you to a service coordinator, and they will get the program started for you by scheduling a time for an in-home evaluation.

What do early intervention services look like; what can I expect?

Whether services are provided in-person or virtually, you can expect to work with one or more professionals who will help build your skill level to increase your child's developmental abilities. We will provide information, education, practice, and modeling. We will stop to answer any questions that you have along the way. The beauty of early intervention is that we work within your family schedule and your family's routines, so you can tell us what's important to you and we will build our support around that information.

How long and how often are the intervention services?

Early intervention support and services are usually one hour long. Visit frequency depends on how much time a therapist or teacher would need to reach your family’s goal. This could be one hour per month, every other week, weekly, or more, depending on your child's needs, and the carry-through from the family/child's support network.

Where do I bring my child for the intervention services?

Great news: we come to you. Typically, early intervention services occur in person. During COVID-19, our mitigation efforts include holding services virtually for the safety of both families and interventionists.

Why is it so important for my child to start intervention this early?

Simply put: the earlier, the better. When a child is young it takes less time to teach them skills to catch up to their peers. Studies show that the earlier the intervention is introduced to a child and family, the better the long-term outcomes and educational achievements of the child.

How much will early intervention services cost?

Nothing. Pennsylvania still offers early intervention at no cost to a family. Funding comes from a number of sources at local, state, and federal levels. We can also help a family apply for medical assistance to cover additional services outside of early intervention, like medical visit co-pays.

How do you help my child learn how to communicate?

Great question! Believe it or not, play is the first step. The back-and-forth of play is the first step in learning how to work with a communication partner. A teacher can teach the understanding of language, and a speech therapist can work on building expressive (spoken) language and articulation.

Are there other ways my child can learn to communicate or talk?

Yes, we have staff who can assist you with American Sign Language and augmentative communication devices, which could help your child to communicate (if they don't currently have words to do so). We also work with interpreters and have bilingual professionals to bridge between two languages.

 

What will happen when my child is too old for your program? What do you mean by transition?

A child can transition out of early intervention at any time whether it's a move to a new county, out of state, or they've met their goals. A transition can also occur at age three. At this time, we would assist you in connecting with your local Intermediate Unit for services for three (3) to five (5) year olds. Planning for this transition begins when a child turns two (2).

Can I stop early intervention services and then resume them at a later date?

The program is voluntary and the caregiver(s) are a part of the decision-making process. You can accept or decline any service offered, and/or decide on what frequency would work for you and your schedule. You may also opt to put them on “hold” while you focus on something specific.

My pediatrician recommended an evaluation. How do I get one?

We're here to help, and we can make that referral for you. By answering a few questions, we can direct you to the correct program within your county.

What documentation do I need to provide for my child to receive these services?

Once the referral is made, you will meet with your county service coordinator for a home visit (intake). You will simply need to provide information about medical history, developmental information, and demographics. Your service coordinator will want to know your concerns, priorities, and your family goals for your child's future.