Director of Early Childhood Services at Upstate Caring Partners talks about the services the agency provides to children with special needs
David L. Podos
Q.: I believe Upstate Caring Partners went by a different name at one time. Is that true?
A.: Yes, we used to be called Upstate Cerebral Palsy.
Q.: When was the name changed and why did that come about?
A.: The name was changed about a year ago. We recognized that we serve a much broader population of individuals, not just individuals with cerebral palsy. So we changed the name to better reflect the individuals we support.
Q.: Why is it so important to have an early intervention program and what are the services that are provided?
A.: Well, first off, the program is a federally funded program. It started all the way back in 1994. So, we provide evaluation, therapy, and service coordination services to children from birth to age 3.
Q.: That certainly is an early intervention. Why is this so important?
A.: Research shows us that the earlier we find “delays” and address them, the less likelihood for the need of services as the child continues to age into young adulthood. A young child’s brain is more elastic, meaning the interventions we offer have a far greater propensity to bring positive results.
Q.: What kinds of issues are you seeing in these very young children that necessitates an intervention?
A.: The biggest delay we see by far is a delay in communication skills. It is often difficult to say exactly why these young children are experiencing this, but we have been seeing an increase [of what we believe] will eventually turn to autism. Also, some kids are born with Down syndrome, others are born with cerebral palsy, some children are born with a genetic condition that predisposes them to cognitive setbacks.
Q.: Are there any specific characteristics that your evaluations look for once you are seeing a child with potential issues?
A.: Our evaluations are very general and look at the five major areas of development which are communication, adaptative, social-emotional, cognitive and motor skills.
Q.: I am assuming that the financial status of families really has no significant bearing on the child in regards to those five major areas of development that you just mentioned?
A.: That is correct. These issues are universal and do not discriminate between wealthy or poor families. We see children having the same issues in either family.
Q.: When your agency begins to work with a child, are those services offered at the child’s residence or are they received here at the agency?
A.: Both places. We provide the therapy at home or we can provide the therapy here. Actually, there are a number of “other” alternative settings where we can still provide the services and that can be at any number of community locations such as libraries or playgrounds. We strive to cater to the family’s needs and what is easier for them. Sometimes if the home setting is too chaotic, then we work with the child in one of our treatment rooms on site. We also a run a developmental group two mornings a week here at our facility for children who are presenting cognitive and communication delays to come and learn social skills. It’s actually like a pre-preschool environment.
Q.: Who runs that program?
A.: That is run by a special education teacher.
Q.: Are there many children receiving services?
A.: Last year we saw close to 375 children. We did about 230 evaluations and provided close to 11,000 therapy sessions.
Q.: How is the early intervention program funded?
A.: The majority of funding comes from the Department of Health.
Q.: How many staff do you have in the Early Intervention program?
A.: We presently have 40 staff that are providing services to varying degrees. For example, some staff only see kids one or two time per week, as many are professionals working full-time for other agencies, etc. That said, we do have five full-time staff who work exclusively in the early intervention program.
Q.: How would someone contact the agency for more information about your services?
A.: The early intervention initial evaluations begin at the Department of Health located in the county that the child resides in. So, if a parent feels that their child is in need of services, they should call the Department of Health in the county that they live in. From that point, if the Department of Health confirms that the child is in need for early intervention services, the county will assign an initial service coordinator to meet with the family. The service coordinator will give the parents a list of agencies that provide early intervention services. If we are chosen, then the coordinator contacts us and then arranges for the child to receive our services.
To call Upstate Caring Partners: 315-724- 6907. More information can be found on www.upstatecp.org