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Therapy Services
Our therapy program provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy evaluations and ongoing services. Our staff is licensed by the State of Florida and certified by their appropriate professional organization. They are Medicaid and Early Steps Providers and all have several years of experience in providing therapy to a pediatric population.
Services are available for children while attending our child development center as well as during outpatient scheduled appointments, and in the child’s home.
Philosophically, our team is committed to a concept of therapy that involves not only direct therapist/child interaction but also the engagement of the child’s caregivers (both at home and school) in the carryover of learning into everyday situations. This may include direct therapy in the classroom whenever possible to establish new patterns and skills as well as educating the child’s teacher and/or family members as to the child’s specific needs, current level of development, and appropriate short term expectations and goals. Our service also includes specific suggestions and activities for the teacher and parents to encourage development of these goals.
Funding for our therapy program is provided by State of Florida Medicaid Program, the United Way of Tampa Bay (only 2% of our total budget), parent fees, private insurance, and private contributions. The therapy program is located at 2401 E. Henry Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33610. For more information, please call (813) 988-7633 ext. 15261 or (813) 236-5589.
Home-Based Early Intervention Program
This service is available to families with children under three years of age who are developmentally delayed as a result of a handicapping condition. Admission to the program must be by referral to Easter Seals from University of South Florida Child Development (Early Steps Program) or All Children’s Hospital. The entry point to this program is an evaluation conducted by a team of professionals from two different disciplines, for example, a speech therapist and an early interventionist. Our interventionists are licensed professionals who may be registered nurses, therapists or Infant Toddler Developmental Specialists (ITDS).
Once a child is referred to our program, Easter Seals Early Intervention Specialists visit the home on an average of once per week. The Interventionist evaluates the needs of the child and works with the family to develop a comprehensive program, which will meet those needs. Frequently this will mean teaching parents the best way to teach and play with their child in order to foster the child’s development. Interventionists provide direct developmental intervention with each child and teach parents how to carry these over into the child’s daily activities. Interventionists also provide information about child development, behavior management, appropriate toys and equipment, healthy adult/child interactions, parenting skills, health/medical issues, and appropriate reading materials.
Funding for this program is provided by the State of Florida Medicaid Program, the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, the State of Florida Early Steps Program, and private contributions. For more information about Home-Based Services, please call (813) 988-7633 ext 15114.
Teen Parent/Infant Centers
Easter Seals operates two Teen Parent/Infant Centers in Hillsborough County in partnership with the School District of Hillsborough County. The Teen West program is located at the D.W. Waters Career Center in West Tampa and the Teen Parent East Center is located at the Simmons Career Center in Plant City.
The program is designed for teen parents to be able to continue their schooling at the Career Center operated by the School District while their infants and toddlers, two weeks to 36 months of age, are cared for in a quality early care and education setting operated by Easter Seals. The teen parents are able to visit with their infants during the school days while on approved breaks from the classroom. This provides the Easter Seals staff with opportunities for teaching appropriate parent/child interactions, proper feeding and developmentally appropriate practices to the teen moms and dads.
Infants of teen parents are considered to be at risk for developmental delays. The quality care provided in this Easter Seals program reduces the risk of developmental delay, or, if delay is present, provides the appropriate intervention to improve the child’s developmental outcomes.
Admission to this program is through the School District of Hillsborough County. Funding for this program is provided by the School Readiness Program. For more information about the Teen Parent/Infant Centers Program operated by Easter Seals, please call (813) 988-7633 ext 15263.
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Ms Pat is a speech pathologist. She and Jasmine have just finished speech therapy and Jasmine is getting a Pooh sticker for her hard work.
Being rocked and nurtured is an important part of the program in the infant classroom. Lavette enjoys her bottle and some nurturing from an attentive Grandma
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