Service Provider Roles

Background and Training:

• A physical therapists (PT) must have a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree in physical therapy from an accredited university. Current PT programs are no longer available at the Bachelor's or Master's levels, so entry-level PT practitioners must have a Doctorate degree.
• They also must be currently licensed in the state in which they are practicing.
• This license is originally maintained by passing a national board exam. Every state has different fees and requirements such as continuing education hours for PT's to maintain licensure.
• PT's are formally educated in subjects including, but not limited to, Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, Orthopedics, Kinesiology/Biomechanics, Pathology & Medical Management, Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, and Public Policy & Physical Therapy.

Common "Red Flags" they look for:

• Child not meeting gross motor developmental milestones
• Atypical patterns in gross motor activities, such as:
  • Walking on toes
  • W-sitting
  • Using one side of body more (i.e. baby using right arm more than left arm during crawling)

Role in Early Intervention:

• Teach families strategies to promote gross motor developmental milestones such as sitting, crawling, and walking.
• Promote major gross movements patterns and modes of movement
• Increase strength, endurance, and flexibility
• Advise families and caregivers about seating systems that can promote increased participation throughout the day
• Recommend and help families apply for mobility equipment such as wheelchairs or walkers, and adjust the equipment when necessary

Background and Training:

• A speech language pathologist (SLP) working in early intervention must first obtain Master's degree in Communication Science and Disorders from an accredited university, then pass their Praxis exam, then complete a clinical Fellowship in an educational setting.
• An SLP must apply for a national license to practice an obtain a Certificate of Clinical Competence for Speech-Language Pathologists (CCC-SLP).
• Additionally the SLP must obtain a teaching certificate to practice in an early intervention or school setting in Nebraska.
• Every state has different fees and requirements such as continuing education hours for SLP's to maintain licensure.
• SLP's are formally educated in subjects including, but not limited to, Articulation, Expressive and Receptive Language, Fluency, Voice, Swallowing, Phonology, Conditions Affecting Speech & Language (Dementia, Aphasia, Apraxia, etc.), Neurology, Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Structures.

Common "Red Flags" they look for:

• Child not meeting communication, cognitive, or social/emotional developmental milestones
• Child not responding to name
• Child not interacting with others
• Delayed self-help skills
• Ear infections
• Child not following simple directions
• Sensory aversions including sensitivity to loud noises
• Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Child not knowing how to play with toys
• Impaired eye contact or joint attention

Role in Early Intervention:

• Address red flags listed above
• Strategically expose children to language and setting up communication opportunities to promote speech development in children with no or few words
• Address language and cognition through play activities
• Promote play skills and social skills
• Incorporate sign language to increase communication opportunities
• Teach children with articulation difficulties how to make sounds, including using physical and visual representations of where sounds come from
• Teach non-verbal or minimally-verbal children to use augmentative alternative communication devices
• Coach families to implement speech interventions in everyday life

Background and Training:

• A Deaf & Hard of Hearing Teacher working in early intervention must have a teaching certificate with a deaf/hard of hearing endorsement.
• Deaf/Hard of Hearing Teachers are formally educated in subjects including, but not limited to, Normal Language Development, Speech & Language Development in Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Audiology, Behavior Management, Psychology & Sociology of Deafness, Teaching Reading and Language Arts for Deaf & Hard of Hearing.

Common "Red Flags" they look for:

• Delays or differences in speech and language development
• Lack of attention or behavioral difficulties
  • poorer than expected academic performance
• Not responding to someone talking out-of-view, particularly with minimal distractions
• Displaying a surprised look when the child’s name has been called at a normal or even fairly loud level, and using “what?” or “huh?” frequently
• Intently watching the faces of speakers
• Difficulty understanding speech in background noise
• Sitting close to the TV when the volume is adequate for others
• Increasing the TV or music volume to unreasonably loud levels
• Not responding to voices over the telephone or switching ears continually when the phone is utilized
• Not being startled by intense sounds
• Not being able to locate the source of a sound accurately (1)

Role in Early Intervention:

• Identify need for interpreter
• Educate family around implications of various hearing interventions
• Educate family about how to play and interact with their child prior to and following any treatments such as cochlear implants
• Identify necessary equipment for the child to reach their goals and outcomes and educate family how to utilize the equipment

Background and Training:

• A teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) working in early intervention must have a teaching degree in general education or special education, but it is preferred that they have a background as a Special Education Teacher.
• A teacher of the visually impaired must have a TVI certification, which can be obtained through additional coursework, often completed via a Master's degree.
• TVI's are formally educated in subjects including, but not limited to, Foundations of Educating Students with Visual Impairments, Braille reading and writing, Anatomy & Physiology of the eye, Multi-handicaps, Educational Implications of low vision, Instructional Strategies, and Orientation & Mobility skills.

Common "Red Flags" they look for:

• Child running into things
• Child afraid to get up and move
• Lack of eye contact
• Child often using their tactile sense instead of visual sense
• Eyes that aren't aligned (turning out, turning in, rolling around)
• No response to light
• No blink reflex

Role in Early Intervention:

• Help parents learn how to play with their children
• Teach parents ways to be successful in providing accommodations for their child
• Discuss ways to improve routines such as dressing, eating, bathing.
• Preparing a child for Braille (if appropriate)
• Provide materials that are appropriate for the child's specific vision loss, including light boxes to teach the child basic and more complex visual skills, books with braille, and books to build on learning (books with shapes, the child's name, numbers, colors, etc.)
• Educate parents about their child's vision loss, provide literature for them to read