Families & Stories
Families and Stories: Navigating early childhood delays and disabilities
In these short videos, parents of young children share what has worked for them, what they’ve learned, and what advice they would give to other families.
Supporting young children with developmental delays and disabilities
Are you worried about your young child’s development? Here’s everything you need to know, from getting an evaluation to starting preschool.
Are you worried about your young child’s development?
Maybe your child seems different from other kids their age. Maybe they can’t – or don’t – do things other kids their age do. Maybe you’ve already identified a disability and are figuring out how to navigate this.
You’re a parent. You’re worried. Whether this is your 1st child or your 5th, trust your gut.
We’ll address how you can find out if something is wrong, what it means if your child has a developmental delay or a disability, and how you can support them through the process. And then we’ll give you a timeline to walk you through the steps to get connected to school services at age 3-5.
Step-By-Step Guides
Parenting babies and toddlers is a non-stop job. If your child has a delay or a disability, there are some extra steps - but there are services for children with disabilities.
Whether you’ve just noticed your baby isn’t babbling yet or your child just graduated from Early Intervention, we have you covered. We’ll walk you through everything from what to do if you’re concerned about your child not meeting milestones to how to get them ready to start kindergarten.
We’ll let you know how to assess your child’s development, and describe the systems and health care providers that can support your child and your family.
Is my child different?
Early Intervention Steps
Early Childhood Transition Timeline
Early Intervention transition to pre-school
If your child has a disability or delay, and they are between 2 and 3 (even if they are not in Early Intervention), it’s time to think about the transition to school or school-based services. Our step-by-step timeline will lay out what to do and when so you and your child will be ready.
O-5+ Years & Beyond
Act as soon as you have a concern! You can connect to disability support services no matter how old your child is. Here’s how to get started.
2 years, 2 months
Connect with the school district. The most important step at this age is to connect with your school district and start exploring special education services. Here’s what you need to know.
2 years, 9 months
Get an evaluation from your school district to see if your child qualifies for special education services. Here’s what to expect.
3 years
Switch to school-based services. The public school system is required to support children with disabilities starting at age 3. Here’s how to make the switch.
3-5 years
Check progress. When your child is between 3 and 5, you should monitor their services and check progress against their IEP goals. Here’s what to watch for.
5 years
Start kindergarten! When your child turns 5, it’s time to start kindergarten. Here’s what to watch for.
More perspectives on early child development stages
Our blogs, videos, and podcasts offer more perspectives on the joys, challenges, and work of helping our young children move from learning to eat to learning to read and write. We talk about everything from helping your preschooler manage anxiety to navigating the Early Intervention age-out.
Preschool for Children with Developmental Delays
Preschool for children with developmental delays is important. It can help with their development, communication skills, and school-readiness.
Parenting a child with a disability: life’s little surprises
What happens when you learn you’ll be parenting a child with a disability? Here’s how Leah went from grief to joy when her daughter arrived.
Tools for managing anxiety in young children
Many young children suffer from anxiety. In this short video, clinician John-Pierre LaFleur offers some simple tools for managing anxiety in young children.
How Can I Prepare for My Child’s Transition into School-based Services at Age 3?
If your child has a delay or disability, learn the steps to get early childhood special needs services and transition into school-based services at age 3.
Transition to school for 3-5 year olds with disabilities: a timeline
Is your child with a disability getting ready for pre-k or Kindergarten? Here’s a timeline of exactly what you need to do at each point.
More Than One Expert in the Room: Parents as Experts
I learned early in my career as a child development therapist that the parent is the expert about their child. When a child and parent came into my office for visual spatial/cognitive therapy, or when I went to homes to provide DIR/Floortime, I thought about this parent-as-expert concept. I’ve always been drawn to supporting parents…
Why Won’t You Just Listen?! Discipline, Parenting, and Child Development
We All Have Good Intentions Do you keep books around that you will someday get to? I have a heap of books encouraging excellent intentions to learn, absorb, and generally ‘be better.’ I collect books that interest me as both a parent and professional. Books that will answer my parenting questions and solve all of…
What If My Child Missed Developmental Milestones?
That’s what happened in my family. Our son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was late to crawl and we noticed he had a clear preference for one side of his body. My husband asked me one night, “Does he always have his right hand fisted while he’s crawling?” I quickly said, “No” and…
What Should I know About Child Development?
I’ve studied child development for almost 20 years and I’ve been a parent for almost 9. I do not have all of the answers. But I’ve learned to ask some good questions. Last week, I listened to a presentation by Kids Included Together (KIT) and I felt inspired to share some of the important takeaways…
Why are We Obsessed with Milestones?
There’s something about your child passing a milestone that makes you feel like a successful parent. We burst with pride and want to tell the world!
Is it behavior or is it a learning challenge?
Maeve isn’t reading at the same level as her peers. Books have always been around at our house and we try to read every night before bed. What else can I do? Won’t she just catch up?
My child is aging out of early intervention but still needs services. What’s next?
If your child is in Early Intervention, they will “age out” when they turn 3. Gwen Crawford Angelos, speech therapist, describes what’s next.
Frequently Asked Questions about
Child Development Milestones
Navigating fears about your child's development, whether they are hitting milestones, and how to help can be confusing. Here are answers to some of the questions families ask us the most.
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