Early Intervention

Early Intervention provides coordinated services to parents/caregivers of eligible children, with developmental delays or disabilities, under the age of three.

It is part of a comprehensive, collaborative, coordinated and family-centered system designed to meet the individual developmental needs of young children and to meet the needs of the family. The focus is to enhance a child’s development in the most natural environment as possible, based on individual family priorities.

Our program believes in a supportive family-centered and developmental atmosphere where the parents/caregivers are the first and most important teachers in their child’s life.

Athens County Board of DD Early Intervention (ACBDD EI) Services are delivered primarily through a Developmental Specialist who assists in the development and implementation of developmentally appropriate practices related to enhancing the child’s growth and development as well as providing the parents/caregivers with the tools to help meet the unique needs of their children.

A Developmental Specialist (DS) provides on-going assessment, activity planning/provision and developmental strategies in the home setting, child-care centers, playgroups, daycare homes and other settings as requested by parents/guardians. A DS may also help a family identify other resources that will help support the child’s development.

Our Developmental Specialist is a critical team member of the Athens County Early Intervention team, along with other professionals; including a service coordinator, physical therapist, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, a dietitian, mental health consultant, vision and hearing specialists.

To learn more about Athens County Help Me Grow Early Intervention services in general, contact our local contact manager (740-589-5132 EXT 252 or Jennifer.cain@hopewellhealth.org).  If you have a concern about your child’s development call 1-800-755-4769 or make an online referral at www.ohioearlyintervention.org.

For more information, contact:

Jodi Mitchell
Developmental Specialist
740-594-3539 x 239
jmitchell@athenscbdd.org