When Abigail Matson talks about her son William, she tells the story in two parts — before he started Early Intervention, and after. 

The first 14 months of William’s life, she worried that he wasn’t talking and seemed to struggle with swallowing. Figuring out what he wanted was a guessing game and he often lashed out in frustration by biting or pinching.

Now he goes to his sensory room when he’s feeling upset. He knows more than 100 words on his augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device and can ask for a drink or his favorite Goldfish crackers. 

He loves to give hugs and swing before bed and can not only identify colors and shapes, but the types of birds in their Heath backyard. 

“He knows, ‘That’s a robin! That’s a killdeer!’” Abigail said. “(Without Early Intervention) we wouldn’t know what William knows, we wouldn’t know how much he understands.”

Options for support

Abigail first heard about Early Intervention from her pediatrician after she expressed concerns that William was becoming increasingly silent, was late to walk and had serious challenges sleeping. 

The traditional recommendations on how to support his development, didn’t seem to fit.

Making the referral, Abigail would learn that Early Intervention is a statewide program for children, birth to 3, with developmental delays or disabilities. Offered at no cost to families, it is provided locally by the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities (LCBDD.) 

A core value of Early Intervention is that services are provided in the home or other natural environments, where children learn best, said Jackalyn Jones, LCBDD’s Early Intervention Contract Manager.

But for Abigail, the ideal setting was one that prioritized her son’s health.

With his medical complexities, she wanted to limit his exposure to illness as much as possible. So when LCBDD Occupational Therapist Karlie Fleak was willing to meet with them over Zoom, Abigail was able to set up her phone so Karlie could see William playing and talk with her. 

“I found that it worked really well,” Abigail said. “William could stay comfortable in his environment.”

The Early Intervention model is based on coaching, which works best when service providers build a relationship with families. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, EI team members learned that they could also make those connections through virtual visits, Jackalyn said.

Now, most families are best supported through in-person visits but the lessons learned during COVID have helped keep virtual services available for those who are concerned about the health of their child or another family member, she said.

‘The tools to succeed’

From the moment Karlie began working with William, she took the time to learn about his unique needs.

“She had a knack for understanding, ‘How to I find out what works best for William?’” Abigail said. 

As Abigail began working to find the cause of William’s delays, she was able to share information that Karlie and her team had gathered with specialists, which helped open doors for referrals.

Although there are still unanswered questions about the cause of his swallowing difficulties and low muscle tone, William was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder just after his second birthday.

“Getting (that diagnosis) this early on, with all these resources, has 100 percent changed the course of his development,” Abigail said.

Karlie developed a sensory diet of activities that could help William calm down and feel safe. Abigail modified a room in their home so he would have a place to jump, swing and feel deep pressure.

With support from their LCBDD Service Coordinator Kayli McClain, they were able to use Family Support Services (FSS) funds to purchase many of the items for the sensory room, including a crash pad, stepping stone toys and specialty pajamas that helped improve his sleep.

 “So not only does (LCBDD) give you the resources and education to understand your child but also the FSS provides them with the tools to succeed,” Abigail said. “Every bit of that has made a very big difference.”

‘So many words’

When William had the tools to self-regulate, Abigail watched his ability to communicate blossom.

Using an iPad and the Proloquo2Go app as an AAC, he’s able to talk about members of his family, request a snack or share what he wants to do next.  

“EI helped us through the process and answered all my questions and helped to make it successful,” Abigail said. “He can communicate so well with that, he has so many words.”

As William’s third birthday approaches, Abigail is working closely with Karlie and Kayli to start the preschool enrollment process.

It will be a transition, but Abigail said she is grateful that Early Intervention helped her find the keys to helping William learn and thrive.

“It’s night and day the amount of progress he’s made,” She said. “It’s 100 percent from Early Intervention. I can’t say enough good things about it.”

For more information about Early Intervention in Licking County, go to 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.

Photos provided by the Matson family.