April 11, 2023 Review and Comment Period Now Open for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is inviting families, community members, child care providers, early childhood educators, and other professionals to review and make comments on the 2023 proposed grant application for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The review and comment period is now open and closes on Friday, April 28. About IDEA, IDEA Part C, and the IDEA Part C Application The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in providing early intervention and school-aged services to children with special needs. Part C of IDEA (also known as the Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program) provides early intervention services for children from birth through 36 months of age. Through the IDEA Part C application, children from birth to 36 months of age who have special needs due to developmental delays and disabilities are eligible to receive early intervention services at no cost to families. Depending on child needs, early intervention services can include family training, counseling, and home visits; occupational, physical, or speech therapy; hearing loss services; health, nutrition, and social work; assistance with service coordination; assistive technology devices and services; and transportation. The services provided to children and their families differ based upon the individual needs and strengths of each child and the child’s family. Services may be provided in the child’s home, child care center, nursery school, play group, Head Start program, early childhood special education classroom or other settings familiar to the family. Participate in Review and Comment Period Anyone who would like to review the proposed grant application can find the document at Early Intervention (pa.gov) or Early Intervention Services (pa.gov) on the right side menu of the webpages. Additionally, interested individuals can request a hard copy by emailing ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov or by calling 717.346.9320. Opportunities to provide public comment include: Mailing written comments to: Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports ATTN: Public Comments for Part C Grant Application 333 Market Street, 6th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 Emailing written comments to: ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov Attending the Public Comment session from 10 – 11 a.m. on April 17 via Zoom. Session details: https://paiu.zoom.us/j/95889985301 877.369.0926 (US Toll Free) Meeting ID: 958 8998 5301 If you need an accommodation or assistance to review the proposed grant application or to submit comments, please contact ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov or call 717.346.9320. Comments will be accepted through Friday, April 28. Learn More The Department of Education will review all comments before submitting the final grant application. To learn more about the review and comment period, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. Sources The above information was compiled from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), Pennsylvania Department of Education (DOE), and Pennsylvania Key websites.
February 17, 2022 CDC Updates Developmental Milestones for Young Children The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have revised developmental milestones for infants and young children in the Learn the Signs. Act Early. program, which helps parents identify autism and developmental delays in their children. Learn More According to a news release distributed by the CDC and the AAP, the previous developmental milestone checklists used 50th percentile, or average-age, milestones. Using this approach meant only half of children could be expected to achieve that milestone by that age. Thus, clinicians and families with concerns would at times choose a wait-and-see approach, leading to a delay in diagnosis. The revised developmental milestones identify the behaviors that 75% or more of children can be expected to exhibit at a certain age based on data, developmental resources, and clinician experience. Updates Changes to the guidance include: Adding checklists for ages 15 and 30 months; now there is a checklist for every well-child visit from two months to five years. Identifying additional social and emotional milestones (e.g., Smiles on their own to get your attention, age four months). Removing vague language like “may” or “begins” when referring to certain milestones. Removing duplicate milestones. Providing new, open-ended questions to use in discussion with families (e.g., Is there anything that your child does or does not do that concerns you?). Revising and expanding tips and activities for developmental promotion and early relational health. More Information The process behind the revised milestones is detailed in an article titled “Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools” published in Pediatrics. Full resources and checklists are available on the CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. page.
May 26, 2021 Sensory Strategies for Early Learners Join the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to learn about the most common developmental delays in children, aged birth through five years. This session will share strategies for supporting children with developmental delays. Presenters will identify activities, strategies, and Library resources that can generate positive sensory experiences for all young children. This virtual workshop will be hosted on Zoom. Attendees will receive 2 hours of PQAS credit. Register on the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh website.
