“What Early Intervention Has Meant to My Family”

The following is an essay that a mom of one of my soon-to-be-discharged early intervention kiddos wrote for a contest through the NJ Early Intervention program. Not only did she win the contest (yay!), but it conveys to parents the hope that early intervention can bring to a family and the difference that therapy early on can make in a child’s life.

If I had to sum up in one word what The NJ Early Intervention System has meant to our family, its hope. When our youngest son Jonathan was born prematurely and soon after found to have hypotonia and both fine and gross motor delays we were so worried. What did this mean for his future? Would he ever catch up? What could we do to help him? So many concerns ran through our minds initially and then as we began our relationship with the early intervention program we began to find some answers and more importantly we began to find some hope.

First he started with physical therapy twice a week and we saw improvement almost immediately. We learned different techniques that we were able to start incorporating into our daily lives that made us feel more in control and like we were doing something to help him along, even when his therapist wasn’t there. Eventually he began receiving occupational and speech therapies as well and we began to implement their suggestions and strategies to help our little guy. In time it has all become part of our routine and daily life. They even taught us how to include our oldest son which was so important so that he did not feel left out.

The most rewarding experience for our family has been watching our son progress so wonderfully being a part of the NJ Early Intervention System. Our therapists have all been instrumental in bringing to light things that need to be addressed and teaching us how to address them. They also give us feedback and positive reinforcement whenever we most need it. You can see it in their interactions how much they care for him and you can see it on his smiling face how much he loves them. They have been there for us through the ups and downs, always ready with a smile or word of encouragement. They do this all while consistently proving top notch care. We cannot say enough about his team of therapists, they have actually changed our lives for the better this past year. Our service coordinator has also been very helpful and supported us whenever we had questions or concerns; she has been a great resource for us. Overall we could not be happier with all of the care we have received from the NJ Early Intervention System, we feel lucky they are a part of our son’s life and will be forever grateful.