The Early Intervention Task Force held a meeting this week at the capitol building to hear from parents and state leaders about intervention services in the state offered to young children with developmental disabilities. The task force was implemented in response to concerns from federal officials about the accessibility of therapy services.
Dr. Susan Buttress is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the chair of the Early Intervention Task Force. She says many more children in the state should have access to these services.
"We are serving only 1.5% of our birth-three [year-old] population," she said. "when in reality, if you look at the number of Children who might have developmental issues that need intervention, it is upwards of at least 10%."
The intention of the new collective is to research and get feedback on Early Intervention services provided in the state. During the hearing, professionals and parents gave testimonies about some of the flaws in local programs. Miranda Carter is a stay-at-home Mom who gave a testimony at the hearing. She said her and her sons' experience with one local service was one filled with "anxiety."
"No referrals were made for speech, occupational or physical therapy," she said. "Sadly, I heard this was the case with two other families who were also told in the same office that their children were 'cute' but their obvious developmental delays were not addressed."
Dr. Buttress says the task force is expected to complete a report on their findings by December of this year.
