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RHD Children’s Services
90 Rochelle Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19128
Phone: (215) 508-3300
Fax: (215) 508-3210
Click for Google
Maps Directions
SEPTA: We are located
in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, off of Ridge
Avenue, next to the Wissahickon Train Station (R6 Norristown
line) and about 1/4 mile uphill from the Wissahickon
Bus Transfer Center (bus routes 1, 9, 27, 38, 61, 62,
65, 124, 125, and R).
If you need any further information or directions
feel free to contact us or click for SEPTA.
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the webmaster by email:
webmaster@RHDkids.org |
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Early Intervention
RHD/Early
Intervention is a non-profit program that provides early intervention
services to children from birth to three years of age and their
families. Families are offered therapeutic services in addition
to home-based or community-based special instruction.
Early Interventionists
work in collaboration with the families to develop goals to
enhance the child’s development. Our program stresses the importance
of family and their involvement in the child’s development.
Since families are the key source of knowledge, strength, and
caring for each child, they are a crucial part of our team's effort.
Using input from families, the Early Intervention team will create an Individualized Family Service Plan
(IFSP), designed to maximize the child’s strengths and
help the child learn new, more progressive ways of functioning.
Early Intervention techniques
are most effective when they become routine parts of children’s
everyday activities. For this reason, Early Interventionists and families
work together to build therapeutic methods into the child’s
everyday activities, such as playing, dressing, and eating with
the family. Since you are the child’s most important teacher,
the specialists will help you to incorporate therapy techniques into
you child’s daily routines at home.
Mission Statement
Our
mission is to empower families and caregivers to enhance the development
of children within their natural environment and to provide quality
services to children with special needs within a caring and therapeutic
environment.
What is Early Intervention?
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Early Intervention is a collection of services and supports designed
to help families with the challenge of parenting a child with special
needs.
Early Interventionists can help discuss and understand your
child’s growing needs. The team will look at your child’s
development in these five areas:
- Cognitive: thinking, planning,
and simple problem solving
- Physical: moving around
- Communication:
how your child relates to others and to him/herself
- Adaptive:
self-help skills, activities of daily living, and what your child
can do for himself or herself
- Social/Emotional: how your child
relates to others and to him/herself
What are Early Intervention
Services and Supports?
Early Intervention services include
the following services and supports: early childhood education; therapies which can help your
child to move his or her body; ideas for how your family can
help your child at home and in the community; and counseling
designed to help you enhance your child’s growing and
learning.
You
are the expert on your child. With your input, Early Intervention
services will be provided in a family-centered way. Family-centered means that your child’s services and/or supports are based
upon the strengths, concerns, priorities, and resources as identified
by you, the child’s family.
Who is eligible for Early Intervention
services?
Infants and toddlers (birth to three years of age) who
show:
- A significant delay in one or more areas of development
compared to other children his/her age;
- A physical disability,
including hearing or vision loss;
- A specialist’s determination
that there is a delay even though it does not show up
on certain assessments (called clinical opinion);
- Known physical or mental
conditions, which have a high probability of resulting in developmental delays.
Preschoolers (three years of age to beginners), will transfer out
of the program if need be to another community-based program or
to Elwyn's Preschool Early Intervention Program.
What types of services does Early Intervention provide?
Special Instruction
Services:
Special Instructors are involved in facilitating the
child’s acquisition of skills in the major developmental areas
(i.e. cognitive, communication, social emotional, physical and
adaptive behavior).
Special Instruction services include:
- Designing activities that promote the acquisition of skills in a variety
of developmental areas, including cognitive processes and social
interaction.
- Curriculum planning that leads to achievement of
the goals in the individualized family service plan.
- Providing
families with information, skills, and support related to enhancing
the skill development of the child.
Occupational Therapists:
The
purpose of occupational therapy services in Early Intervention
is to improve the functional ability of the infant or toddler to
perform tasks in the home, school, and community settings.
Occupational
Therapy services include:
- Identifying needs, making assessments
and intervening as appropriate.
- Assessing the need for environmental
modifications, orthotic needs, and fabricating devices as appropriate.
- Preventing or minimizing the impact of future
impairment, reducing delays in development, and/or minimizing the impact of loss of functional ability.
Nutrition/Dietary Services:
The purpose of nutrition/dietary services
in Early Intervention is to address the functional needs of a child
as it relates to nutritional deficiencies.
Nutritional services
conduct the following assessments: - Nutritional history and dietary
intake.
- Anthropometrical, biochemical and clinical variables.
- Feeding skills and feeding problems.
- Food habits and food preferences.
- Developing/monitoring appropriate feeding plans to address nutritional
needs based on assessment results.
- Making referrals to appropriate
community resources to carry out nutrition goals.
Physical Therapy
Services:
The purpose of the Physical Therapist is to address the
promotion of sensorimotor function of an infant or toddler with
a disability through enhancement of musculoskeletal status, neurobehavioral
organization, perceptual and motor development, cardiopulmonary
status, and effective environmental adaptation.
Physical Therapy
services include:
- Screening, evaluation and assessment to identify
movement dysfunction.
- Providing individual and group services or treatment to prevent,
alleviate or compensate for movement dysfunction and related functional
problems.
Speech-language pathology services:
The purpose of the speech-language
pathologist is to provide assistance in developing age-appropriate communication
skills.
Speech and Language Therapy Services include:
- Identification
of swallowing disorders and delays in development of communication
skills, including diagnosis and appraisal of specific disorders
and delays in these skills.
- Referral for medial or other professional
services.
- Provision of services for the habilitation, rehabilitation
or prevention of communicative or swallowing disorders.
Social Work Services:
The purpose of social workers in early intervention is to
improve the quality of life of infants and toddler and their families:
Social Work
Services include:
- Providing individual and group
counseling for parents and other family members.
- Building partnerships
with families of infants and toddlers with disabilities in order
to facilitate active participation in early intervention services.
- Identifying and coordinating community resources and services to
enable the child and family to receive maximum benefit from early
intervention services.
Early
Intervention
Director:
Shawna Sidibe
Director’s Email: shawnas@RHDkids.org
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