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Are you worried about an infant, toddler, or preschooler who does not seem to be developing according to certain milestones that you've heard about or at the same pace as his or her peers? Developmental milestones are just guideposts—every child is unique and develops in his or her own way. Still, if you suspect a problem, do NOT hesitate to get the child in question screened, either by a primary care provider or through the local school system.

Early intervention is key to helping children with delays and disabilities achieve the best outcomes. Child development experts agree that it is critical to screen your child as early as possible, and make sure any follow-up intervention involves lots of nurturing and one-on-one interaction.

Every parent wants their children to be healthy and happy, and it can be frightening and overwhelming to even consider the possibility of any kind of problem. Following are some resources to help those seeking help as well as those who simply want to be more informed about the issues.

Where To Get Help

• 2-1-1 - Call this free phone number to connect with just about any health and human service resource in our community, including parent support organizations, therapeutic services, advocacy information, and more.
• Alliance of People with Disabilities - Provides resources and support for people living with disabilities in King County. Programs include: Information and Referral Services; Independent Living Skills Training; Peer Groups; Disabilities Law Project (DLP); Emergency Preparedness; Access Reviews; Systems Advocacy; Community Education.
• The ARC of King County - provides services and support to people with developmental disabilities and their families, including advocacy information, a resource guide, and frequently asked questions about early intervention.
• Birth to Three Developmental Center - a non-profit child development program that provides comprehensive early intervention services for infants, toddlers and their families.
• Boyer Children's Clinic - offers a list of resources for children with special needs, such as the American Sign Language Video Dictionary and Answers 4 Families, which is filled with resources for families with children with special needs.
• The Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program (ITEIP) - located within the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) division of Developmental Disabilities for Washington State, this program provides early intervention services, including family resources coordination, for eligible children from birth to age 3 and their families.
• First Signs - A national non-profit that aims to educate parents and pediatric professionals about the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders.
• Birth to Six Prescreening Chart - Kindering Center has made this chart available as a quick, organized way of helping parents and caregivers recognize possible problem areas in a child's vision, hearing and development, while considering the whole child. The chart is intended to be followed up by a professional who can give a complete developmental test.
• Starting Point: Resources for Children with Special Health Care Needs in Washington State - This guide contains lots of local contact information and advice for families who have children with special health care needs. It is also available in Spanish.

Articles

• "Acceptance key for children with disabilities" - article published in local resource ParentMap
• "Doctors list autism signs, urge screenings by age 2" - an AP story that ran in The Seattle Times. It says that one in 150 U.S. children has autism, and it references two new reports recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Books

• Bibliography Regarding Families and Children with Special Needs - available on the Fathers Network, a Web site that supports fathers and families raising children with special health care needs and developmental disabilities.
• Books on Parenting Children with Special Needs or Disabilities -available on the Children's Disability Information Web site, which also includes links to listservs related to children with special needs.
• Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs: Raising the bar of expectations - by Judy Winter. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.
• The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary parents write intimately and honestly about the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of raising kids with special needs - by Denise Brodey. New York, NY: Hudson Street Press, 2007.
• Married with special-needs children: A couples' guide to keeping connected - by Laura E. Marshak, Fran Pollock Prezant. Bethesda. MD: Woodbine House, 2007.
• Our Kids - a listserv and bulletin board for more than 800 families of children with special needs.

Books For Young Kids With Special Needs

• Someone Special, Just Like You - by Tricia Brown; Photos by Fran Ortiz. Holt, 1984.
• The Handmade Alphabet - by Laura Rankin. Dial, 1991.
• Dad and Me in the Morning - by Patricia Lakin. Illus. by Robert G. Steele. Whitman, 1994.
• Ben Has Something to Say: A story about stuttering - by Laurie Lears. Illus. by Karen Ritz. Whitman, 2000.
• I Have a Sister—My Sister is Deaf - by Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson. Illus. by Deborah Ray. HarperCollins, 1977.
• Thank You, Mr. Falker - by Patricia Polacco. Philomel, 1998.
• Way to Go, Alex! - by Robin Pulver. Illus. by Elizabeth Wolf. Whitman, 1999.

These books and more are available through your local library. Visit the Seattle Public Library or King County Library System.

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