Help Me Grow Alabama Helps Parents With Developmental Milestones
Published: February 29, 2016
By: Lori Chandler Pruitt
Parents who are concerned that their baby or young child is not reaching developmental milestones, but don’t know where to get help can contact Help Me Grow Alabama, which connects families to the resources they need.
Help Me Grow, a non-profit United Way agency, offers the ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) as well as the ASQ:SE (social and emotional portion) to parents of children ages 0 to 5; but also will provide referrals for children to age 8.
Help Me Grow Alabama exists to increase identification and referrals of early childhood developmental delays. “We send these questionnaires to parents, and when they send them back, I score them and we talk,” says Danna Perdue-Melton, central Alabama program coordinator for Help Me Grow. “If needed, I make a referral to an agency or service, or give them further information. We do not provide direct services, but we can help them find what they need.”
The screening questionnaire process is free, and some resources are free or low-cost as well, she says. “The earlier we can help parents find the help they need, the better,” she says. “The first five years is the optimum time for getting parents the tools they need to help their child.”
The agency also works with physicians who are seeking help and resources for their patients, she says. Help Me Grow partners with many different agencies, such as state departments of early childhood education, special education, Head Start, rehabilitation services, public health and mental health; Alabama Project LAUNCH, Alabama Partnership for Children, Reach Out and Read Alabama, Parenting Assistance Line, Childcare Resources Network and the University of Alabama child development department.
The organization also helps parents build a network of service providers and identify gaps or barriers to services.
The agency, part of the national Help Me Grow network and the United Way “Success by 6” preschool program, just received statewide funding and is expanding to other areas across the state, Perdue-Melton says.
To find out more, families can call United Way’s 2-1-1 Call Center for free confidential information and referral, call Perdue-Melton at 205-458-2070 or email her at dperduemelton@uwca.org.
For more information, visit helpmegrowal.blogspot.com
Lori Chandler Pruitt is associate editor of Birmingham Parent.
Here are some typical indicators of healthy child development by age:
Age 0-6 Months – Your baby will begin his development by learning to open and focus his eyes. He will begin responding to his name and your voice, and will learn big and small body movements. He might begin to babble and will use his fingers to grab, hold, and shake objects. As his development continues, he’ll learn to grasp smaller items, release objects, sit and play on his own, and may begin to move around by creeping along on his belly.
Age 6-12 Months – Your child will continue learning how to move his body, and will begin creeping, crawling, pulling himself up to cruise along furniture, or may begin walking. He’ll also learn to play with toys appropriately, wave good-bye, and begin to babble simple words like “Mama” and “Dada.”
Age 1-2 Years – Your child may begin to stack, bang, and place objects inside others. His grasp will be precise, and he might begin scribbling and using a sippy cup independently. He’ll also begin to engage in pretend play by feeding dolls or stuffed animals. His walking and running skills will also become more steady and established.
Age 2-3 Years – As your child’s language continues to develop, he will begin using two-word sentences and will know and understand upwards of 50 words. He will also show an interest in playing with children his own age, and will begin alternating his feet when climbing the stairs.
Age 3-4 Years – Building towers and drawing shapes are just some of the developmental milestones your child will reach in his third and fourth year. Aside from buttons, he will begin dressing himself, can speak in simple six-word sentences, and will continue to develop motor skills such as learning to catch a tossed ball.
Source: Family Education Network (http://www.fen.com)