Is your child delayed in some of his/her Developmental Milestones? “Old-school” thought process supports ‘waiting’ until the next Doctor’s appointment, birthday, etc. to see if the child catches up. However, research proves that the earlier we intervene with a child who has a delay, the better outcome that child will experience. Early Intervention is critical for positive outcomes in your child’s development.
Early Intervention services are offered in all counties as a result of the IDEA Law. This law supports that any person with a delay or disability will be entitled to free and appropriate services from the ages of birth to 21 years old. Below is a list of local Early Intervention Providers that can help families determine if their child is delayed and to help them get the appropriate services the child needs.
Philadelphia County
Childlink (ages Birth to 3)
260 South Broad Street
18th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-985-2500
Elwyn, Inc. (ages 3-5)
4025 Chestnut Street
2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-222-8054
Bucks County
Bucks County Intermediate Unit
705 N. Shady Retreat Road
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-2940
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit
1605 West Main Street
Norristown, PA 19403
215-539-8550
Developmental Pediatrician
Children with significant and non-typical delays in their development should be seen by a Developmental Pediatrician in order to determine the cause of their delay. Developmental Pediatrician can help determine if a delay is caused by neurological or chromosomal abnormalities. Below is a list of local Developmental Pediatrician. The waiting list is very length in most cases, so we suggest calling as soon as possible.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
34th Street and Civic Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-590-1000
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
East Erie Avenue and North Front Street
Philadelphia, PA 19134
215-427-5000
Einstein Hospital
5501 Old York Road
Levy 2W
Philadelphia, PA 19141
215-456-6186
9880 Bustleton Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19116
215-827-1500
ABA Services
Effective Communication Solutions is not currently offering ABA Services as we experienced difficulties with insurance coverage for this service under our current Medical Provider Contracts with the Insurance Companies. Services are referred out to the following agency:
Lovaas Institute East Headquarters
Cherry Hill / Philadelphia Office
57 Haddonfield Road
Suite 110
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Phone: (856) 616-9442
Fax: (856) 667-3563
Secondary Insurance
Children with Developmental Delays tend to require additional specialist care in order to help with their delay and/or disabilities. The majority of children with a Developmental Delay are eligible for Secondary Insurance to help protect their families from the financial burdens of co-pays and out of pocket expenses.
Steps to acquire secondary insurance:
- You will need to apply for Social Security at your local Social Security Office or you can apply on-line at www.ssa.gov
- Most families will be denied monetary Social Security benefits, but they are usually covered for Secondary Medical insurance through Keystone Mercy or Health Partners. The process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. Keep in mind that some insurance plans have discontinued or have limited their therapy coverage for children with Developmental Delays of all types. It is advisable to start this process as soon as possible to avoid a delay or discontinuation of your therapy services.
ECS Therapy Services offers monthly training programs for families in order to keep them informed of a variety of ways to help their children achieve their maximum function. See our Training Calendar for more details. Please call the office at 215-613-6523 to pre-register for the courses.