As members of the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities (LCBDD) Early Intervention team, Jen Darr and Janelle Pickens get lots of emails from parents every day.
But one recent message especially touched their hearts.
Durga Subedi, of Reynoldsburg, reached out to them as her daughter, Kripa Nepal, turned 3 and transitioned out of the Early Intervention program.
“It was my pleasure to get connected with you both during our difficult times. You both were here with us during tears and smiles, ups and downs, losses and success. We are so blessed to be helped and supported by your team. I can’t imagine my journey with Kripa without your support,” she wrote.
She also included a picture, drawn by her 9-year-old daughter Divya. It showed Kripa and her sister with big smiles on their faces. “Thank you for helping my beloved sister come this far,”  was written at the top of the page.
Reflecting back on the drawing,  Durga emphasized how much the LCBDD team supported her, Kripa’s father Krishna Nepal and Divya.
“I am very thankful that I decided to request (Early Intervention),” she said. “I feel like if I didn’t have Janelle and Jen, I don’t know if I’d be right here.”
Kripa now receives support from Connie Bryant, one of LCBDD’s Early Childhood Service Coordinators, who works with children from age 3 to 12.Although it was sad to say goodbye after several years of visits, Jen said she knows that Kripa is in good hands for the next step in her journey.
The smooth transition highlights not only the benefits of Early Intervention, but the positive changes that happen when parents and team members work together to help children get ready for preschool and beyond.
Early challenges
When Kripa was born, she spent the first few months of her life in the hospital with significant feeding challenges. Once she came home, Kripa struggled with vomiting, so she had to lay still after eating, which impacted her ability to do tummy time or practice rolling.
“Our whole life revolved around her feeding schedule,” she said. “It was a hard time.”
Reaching out to Early Intervention when Kripa was 5-months old, changed everything, Durga said.
“I was almost breaking down and they listened to me,” she said. “They were always there, to listen to you and not judge you.”
‘We celebrated the little things’
Early Intervention (EI) is a statewide program that supports children, from birth to age 3, with developmental delays or disabilities.
In Licking County, services are provided by LCBDD — at no cost to families —  in their homes, where children learn best.
Kripa had so many appointments, having the EI team members come to their house was very helpful, Durga said.
After Durga’s first meeting with Jen, who is an EI service coordinator, and Janelle, who is an Early Intervention speech therapist, they decided to focus on feeding and gross motor development.
Even when Kripa was recovering from a surgery, they were able to find ways for her to learn and grow.
“We celebrated the little things,” Durga said. “Turning over, tummy time, army crawling, we celebrated every step!”
Kripa was able to receive support from several other EI team members, including Physical Therapist Brenna Sabo, who recommended SMOs to stabilize her feet and ankles as she started walking.
Jen and Janelle also helped her connect to Early Head Start so Kripa could get additional support from one of their home visitors.
Now Kripa is sitting in a high chair and eating blended or soft foods. Sometimes she will try a few bites of what her family is eating at meals.
“We have learned how to enjoy every step,” Durga said.
Their hope is for Kripa to be completely eating on her own by age 5. Durga is confident that she will meet that goal.
“She is very strong,” Durga said. “Even when (she is not feeling well) she smiles and that gives us hope that she is ok.”

A smooth transition

Kripa loves to play with her older sister, and copy some of her best dance moves. She is a social butterfly and waves at people around her wherever she goes. She is fluent in both English and Nepali and continues to work hard in speech therapy.
Although some health challenges remain, Durga is hopeful that she will soon be able to start preschool and continue to thrive.
Children age out of Early Intervention on their third birthday, so a big part of the program is preparing children and families for the next steps, Jen said.
“We start having that conversation as early as age 2,” Jen said “We want families to know what that looks like, and help them connect with their school district.”
With Jen’s support, Kripa was able to go through testing through Reynoldsburg City Schools and her Individualized Education Program (IEP) was in place by her third birthday. This allows her to continue getting therapies through the school district, without an interruption in services.
“We have tried our best to prepare and it’s been great to have an opportunity to watch her transition from EI to preschool,” Jen said.
Kripa was also found eligible to continue services with LCBDD’s Early Childhood team, so Connie, her new service coordinator, will be available to her family to help meet Kripa’s needs during her school-aged years.
The team approach made the transition very easy, Durga said, She is looking forward to what is ahead for Kripa and is thankful for all the services she has received.
“It was very, very helpful,” she said. “I really appreciated it.”

For more information about Early Intervention in Licking County, go to https://lcountydd.org/birth-to-3/<https://lcountydd.org/birth-to-3/>. To make an EI referral, please call 1-800-755-4769. You can also make a secure online referral at http://bit.ly/ReferToHMG<http://bit.ly/ReferToHMG>.
For more information about Early Childhood services (from age 3 to 12) in Licking County, visit https://lcountydd.org/early-childhood/.