Early Intervention Services - Easterseals

Early Intervention Services help infants and toddlers who need assistance meeting developmental milestones achieve their goals in cognitive, social/emotional, communicative, adaptive and physical development. Services may include occupational therapy to help infants develop visual, motor, arm and hand skills - a precursor to play and education; physical therapy to help learn or gain motor control skills needed for rolling over, sitting up, and crawling through walking; or early speech intervention to help them learn to eat and develop language skills. Most early intervention services take place in the home or, in the case of working parents, at child care facilities in the local community.

Contact our Intake Coordinator at 847.742.3264 to ask questions or schedule an appointment for Early Intervention Services. 

Why Begin Here?

Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley has over 60 credentialed therapists who receive additional certifications to assess infants and toddlers at all stages of development. At Easterseals, we believe children benefit from the knowledge of our entire team. Our therapists collaborate and consult with all professionals involved in the child's care, in order to achieve the optimal outcome from therapy and provide carryover and consistency across all environments.

If a child does not meet the State of Illinois' Early Intervention eligibility criteria, (a 30% or more delay in development in any area), their delay may still require attention. Easterseals therapists can offer a second opinion and help determine other options with an evaluation at any of our Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley locations in Villa Park, Elgin and Naperville.

As experts in child development, we know the critical impact early childhood intervention has on all babies' development. Research shows that infant brain development is greatly impacted by their experiences and environmental factors like play, relationships and diet. Babies are born with an initial excess of brain cells, so early skill-building has a direct impact on which cells are retained and which are lost. Skills that are in demand will remain, while skills used less will “lose” real estate in the brain. Once lost, they can be difficult to regain, especially for children with brain injuries or neurological challenges. Through specialized training and techniques, our therapies help increase the brain’s neuroplasticity and form the neural connections needed to develop new skills.

How To Get Started

Contact our Intake Coordinator at 847.742.3264 to ask questions or schedule an appointment for Early Intervention Services. 

Parents can also take advantage of our Make the First Five Count program, which offers FREE online child development screening tools to help measure and keep track of your child’s growth and development.

For parents who suspect their child may have a developmental delay, a pediatrician or other primary health care provider should be consulted.


Step By Step of Receiving EI Services

What happens after Early Intervention Services end at age three?

Therapy centers like Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley can complement and expedite school-based therapy goals. 

It is never too early to connect with your school district to get your child on their radar for resources! Your EI Service Coordinator will provide a direct contact to your school district with documentation detailing your child’s therapy history and needs. If found eligible, your child can receive therapy services provided by the school until they meet their educational goals. 

In addition, Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley therapists can provide clinic-based therapy that supports all areas of a child's life and continue their progress made in Early Intervention. Adding Easterseals to your child's team will help them meet milestones faster. 

For additional information, please call 847.742.3264 or email info@eastersealsdfvr.org.

Conditions Aided by Early Intervention Services at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley

We provide Early Intervention Services to children with a variety of diagnoses from birth to age 3 by crafting an individualized therapy plan. We also coordinate with school districts to provide assistance for children 3 and up who are transitioning to a school-based setting.

For more information on how Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley Early Intervention services can provide support for children with specific diagnoses, please follow the links below:

  • Early Intervention: ADHD
  • Early Intervention: Autism
  • For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), experts agree that early childhood intervention leads to positive outcomes. New guidelines released by the American Pediatric Academy (APA) emphasize the importance of early screenings and diagnostic evaluations. We provide Early Intervention Services in all disciplines, and have more specialized providers that are evaluators than our competitors. In addition, all of the diagnostic screenings recommended by the APA are provided by our Medical Diagnostic Clinic and Autism Diagnostic Clinic.
  • Early Intervention: Down Syndrome
  • Early Intervention: Sensory Processing Disorder
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