Infant Development Program Description
The Infant Development Program (IDP) is a support service for the families of infants and children from birth to six years of age. A consultant assists families with planning, problem solving and advocating for their identified needs.
IDP works with families with infants or children who are concerned or want more information about their child’s development, or families, where their child may be at risk for a delay in development due to birth or other medical problems. Finally IDP works with families whose child may already have a diagnosis which can impact development.
Services
The Infant Development Consultants meet with families in their homes in the Kenora area and in First Nations communities where the consultants provide:
- Information about learning, development and parenting
- Utilize screening tools to assess a child’s development
- Provide recommendations based on the results of the screening
- Assist families to connect with other supports and services
- Create opportunities for families to meet others with similar concerns</li>
- Assist families and children with the transition to school
Additional Services:
Augmentative Education PROGRAM (AEP)
The Augmentative Education Program (AEP) was developed to meet goals set out by the family and student to reinforce, generalize or learn new skills to improve opportunities for participation. Community support workers work directly with children 3-17 years of age in one-to-one, small group and large group settings. Goals may include improving communication skills, literacy, focus and attention, vocational or social skills. Theses goals are set to support what the children and youth are involved in currently or in the near future. The Augmentative Education Program is one tool that is available to help students meet specific goals in a specific time frame.
The parent an integral part of the team and knows the child best. They hold the long term vision for the child and establish and prioritize goals to be worked on and provide commitment and support to meet theses goals at home and communication to other settings in which the child is involved. The child’s consultant makes the referral when it is identified as a tool to meet the goals. They assist and support the family in setting measureable goals and help facilitate the implementation of these goals. Once the referral is made the consultant acts a resource for ideas for parents and the Community Support Worker (CSW) and assists the family in problem solving. They assist in the follow-up generalization of skills in other settings.
The Community Support Workers (CSW) works in an intensive one-to-one situation with the child as well as supports inclusive activities in the community. They are responsible to establish strategies and an alternate approach if necessary to meet the child’s learning styles. They also assist in the evaluation of goals identify for this program.
Lunch and Learn:
The purpose of lunch and Learn is to provide families with developmentally delayed children with the opportunity to connect with each other while learning. The consultants facilitate the sessions based on topics which the families suggest. Time is allowed to share successes and challenges and seek feedback. Lunch and learns occur once a month.
Sib shop:
Sib Shop is an interactive workshop for children 8-13 years of age who have a brother or sister with special needs. Children need safe, supportive opportunities to express their feelings, concerns and frustrations. In Sib Shop, the children learn that they share a number of bonds and feeling with other brothers and sisters. They are not alone.
Sib shop is offered at least once a year or as needed.
Family Support /Respite
The purpose of the Family Support/Respite Care Program is to offer flexible support to meet a family’s immediate, long term and varied needs. The program works first to clarify a vision and building long term relationships which will lessen isolation and the need for formalized respite.
The Respite Care Program acts as a vehicle for families in designing the support they need in order to live a life that is meaningful and satisfying to them; ultimately the goal of the program is to assist families to develop an interdependency between families, friends, neighbours, and the community.
Some of the resources the KACL consultants can assist families to access include:
Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities
Assistance to find a respite worker can be found by contacting Lake of the Woods Employment Assistance Program (L.E.A.P.)
