Page 44 - North State Parent March 2022

FAMILY LIFE & SUPPORT NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE SPRING/SUMMER 2022
Help Me Grow:
Empowering Parents In Supporting Their Child’s Development
By Karen Pautz
Executive Director, First 5 Siskiyou Children and Families Commission
Parents play an integral role in their child’s de- velopment. From the earliest moments in a child’s life, a parent’s warm, responsive nature
spurs early cognitive, social, and behavioral development for young children. This happens during a critical phase in which brain development is occurring more rapidly than in any other period in life. Put simply, a parent’s love is helping their baby grow and develop.
Along the parenthood journey, caregivers need to feel empowered to ask questions about their child’s de- velopment and raise any concerns. Help Me Grow is that recourse for parents and all child-serving professionals.
One in six children will have a developmental delay or disability
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an estimated 18 percent of children, or one in six, will present with a developmental delay or disability, such as autism, hearing loss, and speech and language de- lays. When these delays are identified, children and their families are connected to early interventions like physical therapy, speech therapy, and other supports. Such inter- ventions can have a significant impact on a child’s early learning and social-emotional development; both imme- diately and for years to come.
However, far too many children are not connected to such interventions and resources because potential de- velopmental delays are not identified early enough. Help Me Grow offers an array of resources for families, empow- ering them to play an active role in their child’s develop- ment.
Tracking developmental milestones
Help Me Grow is a centralized access point for fam- ilies to ask questions about their child’s development and discuss any concerns they may have. No question is too big or too small: When should my child start saying words? Is my baby crying too often? Should my toddler be walking by now?
Children all develop at their pace. Developmental milestones can help parents track their child’s growth and development and can let them know what to expect during the baby and toddler stages. The American Acade- my of Pediatrics recommends that each child be assessed, or “screened” for these developmental milestones three times by age three. Help Me Grow lets parents access the developmental screening tools from the comfort of home with the free Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This helps assess a child’s developmental progress in these areas:
Communication: the ability to use and understand language
Cognitive: the ability to understand cause and effect and to problem solve
Social & Emotional: the ability to manage emotions and relate to others
Motor: the ability to use large and small muscles for movement, balance, reaching and grasping
Adaptive: the ability to engage in self-help skills like toileting, eating and dressing
Child care providers and professionals such as pedi- atricians, healthcare providers, child care providers, and teachers also play a critical role in supporting a child’s de- velopment. Help Me Grow trains and educates providers on developmental screening practices, equipping them
with tools and resources to support positive child devel- opment.
Help Me Grow is a resource for care
If a delay or concern is identified through screening, Help Me Grow can also help. The recommended interven- tion to support a child will vary depending on the nature of delay and the child’s age. Help Me Grow connects fam- ilies to providers and the correct system of care to ensure a child receives the appropriate intervention. Local pro- grams or community-based organizations reach out to families to offer support to access and navigate care. Ad- ditionally, Help Me Grow maintains a resource directory with locally available resources.
First smiles, first words, first steps are all part of the developmental and parenthood journey. Help Me Grow is here to help parents navigate these critical early child- hood years and support them in being their child’s first and most important teacher.
Want to learn more about Help Me Grow near you? Please visit:
Help Me Grow Butte: 530-552-3919, www.helpmegrowbutte.org/screening
Help Me Grow Shasta: 530-605-2645 www.helpmegrowshasta.com
Help Me Grow Siskiyou: 530-918-7222, www.helpmegrowsiskiyou.com
Help Me Grow Tehama: www.first5tehama.org/help-me-grow/
44 North State Parent Family Resource Guide Spring/Summer 2022 • www.northstateparent.com
Help Me Grow has answers to parent’s questions about their baby’s development.