Brain Growth

"It is widely accepted that the most critical time in a person’s life are the first few years. During the first year a child doubles in size both height and weight, but most importantly, the child grows immensely in brain power. It is that power that will decide their entire future..."

Help Me Grow Utah is a fellow Help Me Grow affiliate, their post last week is a great description of why HMG staff are passionate about serving families and helping babies grow.

Follow the link to find out why we (and HMG Utah) put such a priority on baby brain development.

Family Outreach - Books, Balls, and Blocks

Last month we featured Robin Mackey and her work with Strengthening Families. Today she shares her experiences with us in light of a recent Books, Balls, and Blocks event...

As a social worker I have worked with families in a variety of settings. I have found my recent work, focused on early childhood, to be especially rewarding. I have seen firsthand, the difficulties families face in addressing challenges experienced by older children. The fact is that when a teenager is experiencing social, emotional or behavioral difficulties, families often find themselves struggling to find the right help. Those fortunate enough to get the help they need still face a steep uphill battle to achieve the change they hope for.

In contrast, the early childhood world is all about bright beginnings. We know that when families get what they need when children are young, those children are set on a positive trajectory toward excellent outcomes. When challenges are identified, families of young children have an opportunity to take steps to prevent problems from escalating and, in many cases, reverse any negative effects.

I recently had the opportunity to see just how important it is to get information and support to families. At a recent community event called Books, Balls and Blocks (which was piloted by HMG Utah) parents had an opportunity to complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3 (ASQ-3) while their children engaged in developmentally enriching play. Of the 28 parents who came through the event, 4 identified some type of developmental concern when they completed their ASQ-3. Those families immediately received referrals for support, including information on how to connect to Help Me Grow. It helped me to remember how important this work is. We can’t give up in reaching out to families and helping them to understand what healthy child development looks like and how to find help if they have concerns.

Jane and ADMH

Jane Duer is the Early Intervention (EI) Coordinator for the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH), one of many state partners with Help Me Grow. Jane joined ADMH in November 2012 after working at Children’s of Alabama for 21 years. In January 2013, Jane attended a Help Me Grow meeting of southeastern state leaders. We’re excited to have Jane as part of our team and wanted to share her perspective on HMG in Alabama…

Through my work at Children’s and now at ADMH, I know firsthand that many families of young children face difficulties in finding the resources, supports and services to help their children. While there are great resources available in Alabama, children and families still get lost and don’t know how to find their way. I’m passionate about Help Me Grow and ADMH EI because they have similar missions - to identify and connect developmentally delayed children and their families to services and other resources, provide outreach to physicians, and increase awareness regarding the importance of early screening and intervention to improve a child’s developmental outcomes. 

ADMH EI participates in Alabama’s Early Intervention System (AEIS) by contracting with 27 local community agencies across the state to provide direct EI services to infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. An infant or toddler in Alabama under the age of three may be eligible for EI services if they are experiencing at least a 25% delay in any of the five areas of development: cognitive, communication, physical (includes motor, hearing, and/or vision), adaptive/self-help, or social/emotional, or have a medical diagnosis that has a likelihood of leading to developmental delay during early childhood.

I am proud to coordinate ADMH’s EI service providers and to deliver much-needed services to children and families across the state. While Help Me Grow is still in its own “early childhood,” it has the potential to make incredible improvements in the lives of Alabama’s youngest children and families. HMG is something we as Alabama residents and stakeholders can be proud of and should help support in any way possible.

To find out more about Early Intervention in Alabama or to refer a child for screening and evaluation, click here.

Dr. Dworkin: Informing the National Discourse

Dr. Paul Dworkin is the founder of Help Me Grow and Director of the Help Me Grow National Center. He writes a monthly blog updating state affiliates and the public regarding HMG at a national level. In the excerpt below, he shares positive news from a recent meeting of national leaders.

On March 5, 2013, Joanna Bogin and I had the honor of representing the Help Me Grow National Center when federal officials came together with community leaders in Washington, D.C., at a meeting hosted by the Center for the Study of Social Policy.

The focus of the meeting, titled “Community-Based Assessment, Services and Supports for Young Children,” on community pathways for early identification, referral, and linkage to developmental services and supports for young children led to a lively, productive discussion. While we look forward to sharing with you a comprehensive review of the dialogue, two aspects of the session merit special attention...

Finish reading here and check out Dr. Dworkin's entire blog here.