Early Intervention is a specialized branch of pediatric occupational therapy designed specifically for infants, toddlers, and children under the age of three. Instead of waiting to see if a child "grows out of" a challenge, early intervention steps in immediately to bridge the developmental gap, making everyday activities easier for both the child and their family.
Key Areas Focused on During Early Intervention
Babies and toddlers learn, communicate, and explore through movement and play. Our Early Intervention sessions focus on helping young children master these foundational daily activities:
Motor Milestone Achievements:
Helping infants and toddlers reach crucial physical milestones such as rolling over, pushing up, sitting independently, crawling, cruising, and walking.
Fine Motor Coordination:
Building hand and finger strength so your child can grasp rattles, transfer toys from one hand to another, shake objects, and begin using a pincer grasp to pick up finger foods.
Sensory Processing & Regulation:
Supporting infants who are easily startled, excessively fussy, or overwhelmed by bright lights, loud sounds, or clothing textures. We help them learn to soothe and regulate their nervous systems.
Feeding and Oral Mechanics:
Assisting infants with latching, sucking, or swallowing difficulties, as well as helping older toddlers transition smoothly from liquids to purees and solid table foods without gagging or refusing textures.
Cognitive and Play Skills:
Teaching young children how to interact with their environment, explore toys purposefully (such as stacking rings or pushing buttons), understand cause-and-effect, and imitate actions.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Early Intervention
Because early development happens rapidly, keeping an eye on functional milestones is essential. You may want to consider an Early Intervention evaluation if you notice your child demonstrating any of the following patterns:
Age Range
Potential Red Flags / Signs
0 – 6 Months
Has difficulty tracking objects with their eyes; feels exceptionally stiff or unusually floppy when held; struggles significantly with nursing, bottle-feeding, or latching.
6 – 12 Months
Does not sit up without support; shows a strong preference for using only one hand while ignoring the other; does not reach for or bring toys to their mouth.
12 – 24 Months
Does not crawl or walk; struggles to feed themselves finger foods; shows intense distress or melts down over everyday sounds, textures, or moving through space.
24 – 36 Months
Frequently trips, falls, or seems highly uncoordinated; cannot stack blocks or copy simple gestures; struggles severely with transitioning between activities.
The Family-Centered Coaching Approach
We believe that parents and caregivers are a child's best teachers. Because of this, our Early Intervention services use a family-centered coaching model.Therapy doesn't just happen during our scheduled session time. Our therapists work side-by-side with you within your child’s natural environment—whether that is in our specialized sensory clinic space, through virtual teletherapy, or by giving you strategies for your home. We teach you how to turn normal daily routines like diaper changes, bath time, mealtime, and floor play into natural opportunities for therapeutic growth and development.
