Santa Ana: Free, No Appointment-Needed
When/Where: 8:30-11:30 a.m., Friday, April 30, 2021
Reimagine
1601 E. St. Andrew Pl.
Santa Ana 92705
What: To address the pandemic-related decrease in children receiving early intervention therapies, this FREE, no-appointment-necessary early childhood development screening event will help identify possible developmental delays and connect families with resources aimed at closing the developmental gap.
Staffed by experts fluent in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, the event offers the following:
-free developmental screening for children ages 0-5 who live in Orange County.
-an opportunity for parents to learn how their child is progressing cognitively, developmentally and socially.
-parents and guardians can talk one-on-one with specialists who are trained in all areas of early childhood development.
-mothers with children age 0-12 months can also be screened for postpartum depression.
Each screening station is staffed by early childhood development health and medical specialists in: speech and language, fine motor (like assembling puzzles, drawing pictures; activities that require smaller and more complex muscle movement), gross motor (like walking and standing that require use of large muscle groups), emotional and behavioral health, vision, hearing, dental, and overall health.
NOTE: Developmental screenings are not meant to replace doctor visits.
Once a child has gone through the screenings, his or her parent is connected to various social service agencies that can address their specific needs.
Why: This screening event is invaluable for parents who notice that something isn’t quite right with their child, but aren’t sure what it is or can’t get answers from their regular pediatrician. Sometimes, a doctor may tell parents not to worry, that every child develops differently. Often things work out fine. However, when there is an early childhood developmental issue detected, early intervention can be key in helping a child close the developmental gap.
The number of babies and toddlers entering Early Start (the state-funded early intervention program Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC) operates in Orange County), decreased when the pandemic was in its early stages. That turned out to be a sustained drop, from an average of 278 referrals each month in 2019 to just 176 referrals each month by 2020. Unfortunately, many parents were skipping or postponing doctor visits due to COVID fears. The majority of children who are at-risk for disability or who experience developmental delays can close the developmental gap. In fact, 85 percent of children who enter Early Start no longer need RCOC-funded services once they age-out of the program on their third birthday. The sooner a child begins receiving the appropriate therapies and services, the better their outcomes are likely to be. Children with developmental delays can’t wait. Months can impact a lifetime.
Who: Presented by Regional Center of Orange County and funded by a grant from the Children & Families Commission, participating agencies include:
Blind Children’s Learning Center
Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County
Intervention Center for Early Childhood
Providence Speech and Hearing Center
RCOC (www.rcocdd.com) is the private, nonprofit organization contracted by the State of California to deliver lifelong services and supports to the more than 22,000 Orange County residents with developmental disabilities and their families. Developmental disabilities include intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy.
