Hernando Today
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Early Steps Program Going Strong
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Published: August 7, 2008
BROOKSVILLE - When Spring Hill resident Zoe Burgess, 28, got pregnant with her first child last year, one of the first things she did was join an Internet chat group for expectant mothers.
Since all had similar due dates, Burgess and her husband spent the next nine months comparing milestones with other expectant parents across the country — until their daughter, Zoe Cecilia Burgess, was born with Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that often causes delays in the way a child develops.
They assumed their child would never catch up with the other babies in the group.
But six months later, an amazing thing has happened. By volunteering for a state program designed to help guide families of young children with significant disabilities or delays, their daughter has surpassed the group's other children in typical development milestones.
"It helped with all the simple things — things that you never would have thought of in your life," she said. "Now, my baby is almost six months old and hasn't fallen behind in anything, and I believe it's because of this program. Its amazing how much the program has helped me."
The family is one of 132 Hernando County families currently receiving assistance through Florida's Early Steps program, a partnership with providers and families that offers early intervention services to children from birth to 3 years old.
Offered through the state's department of health and medical services, the program is designed to identify and treat a problem or delay as early as possible. It is offered regardless of a family's income, and there is no charge for services, which are often also covered by insurance.
With offices throughout the state, there are currently more than 1,300 children being served in Hernando, Pinellas, Pasco and Citrus counties, part of a federal mandate to serve children with disabilities that is based out of St. Petersburg's All Children's Hospital.
Spring Hill resident Pat Califano — one of two service coordinators currently serving Hernando County families out of the program's Brooksville office — explained that to be enrolled in the program, children must first be found eligible through a screening and assessment process. Then a support plan is formulated for the family, with goals based on the child's needs and individualized development.
In Burgess' case, her daughter was automatically eligible for the program due to her diagnosis at birth, and someone called to tell her about the program almost immediately.
At first, she said she felt skeptical. Officials told her therapists would come to her home to work with her child, and Burgess feared judgment.
But it was just the opposite. After volunteering for the program, therapists began paying monthly visits to her home, and showed her ways to use all of her baby's toys and games in ways that would best serve her child's needs.
They also gave advice specific to her daughter's disability, such as positioning blankets in ways that provide support for areas of low muscle tone and only allowing use of a baby carrier or swing for short periods at a time, Burgess said.
"My baby started rolling at three months and is now almost getting on all fours," she said. "These are things other babies would probably do naturally, but some require a little extra guidance."
Participation in the program also gave Burgess full access to hundreds of books in the program's library, and staff members call frequently to update her on conventions or events related to special needs that she might be interested in.
"When you have a special needs child, life is not what you thought it would be. But when you have people telling you, 'Trust me, call me anytime,' and sharing success stories with you, it's much easier," she said.
The program is also meant for children whose delays are not caught immediately, and become apparent when parents notice that their children are not progressing at the same rate of other children.
"I trust family instincts," said program director Louise Boothby-Llorente. "If a family thinks something is wrong, we need to screen (the issue) and determine whether it is within a normal range of development."
If staff members determined that a child has a 25 percent deficiency in any area of development or is at risk, they are considered eligible for services. Therapy is often determined by insurance.
Conditions that staff members typically work with include cerebral palsy and speech or language delays, among other issues.
Califano said much of the work consists of creating challenges that are fun for children, such as singing songs, playing games and drawing pictures. Staff members then teach parents what they can do at home to help their child, which particularly helps curb frustration for families when children are having trouble communicating.
"All learning at this age is really through play," she said. "We try to make parents be the greatest advocate for their child. If we give them things they can work on at home, they're getting therapy all the time."
When a child turns 3 years old, the child will often be re-screened, with continued services offered through Florida's public school system, if needed.
Either way, the goal remains the same: to make sure children with special needs receive the assistance they need to keep up with their peers.
"Every child is different, but there are certain milestones that a child should be meeting at a certain age," Califano said. "We want every child to be at the same level when they start school."
For more information on Early Steps, go to www.cms-kids.com.
Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.
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