about our Toddler Group
Yaldei’s Toddler Group is a therapeutic and play program serving children 0-6 with special needs which provides children with Intensive Early Intervention.
Why Early Intervention?
It is widely known that the first years of a child’s life shapes their learning, development and growth. It is during these crucial early years that children develop mobility, language, social behaviour, and an awareness of themselves in their environment. It is for this reason that early identification of developmental and neurological disorders is essential. The receipt of early intervention is instrumental in maximizing a child’s potential and abilities. This is what drives us at Yaldei; the desire and commitment to discover the abilities in every child, to understand what the child can do — not what they cannot do.
“ Most mommies and daddies tell me “I thought there was a problem at 14 or 15 months…and they told me let’s wait and see because sometimes some kids grow out of it.’ Well, that’s not a good answer. We’ve got to make the distinction between less important problems, where we can wait and see, from core problems, which involve a lack of reciprocity and a lack of getting to know your world. For these core problems, we have to act on it yesterday. We can’t wait nine months, we can’t wait two months.””
Determining a Treatment Program
When parents/caregivers bring a child to our center, a team works together to determine an appropriate and individualized treatment program. It is important that we point out that our Team consists of members from our Clinical and Therapeutic departments, but because they play such a crucial role in the care of their child, it also includes the child’s parents/caregivers. Our services are geared not only to the child’s individual needs but also to changing the quality of life for the family, so it is important that the parents/caregivers are part of the process from the start.
Before we start a treatment program, we determine if a comprehensive evaluation of the child’s cognitive, motor, social and language development and adaptive functioning is necessary. If it is,we go forward with the evaluation before proceeding to the next step. In each case, whether the child needs a full evaluation or not, our Team gets together to determine the areas for intervention and decide on the appropriate treatment plan. The treatment plan and therapies are then developed with the eventual goal of a successful transition from early childhood programs to more inclusive school and community programs.
We believe that the most effective treatment plan is a combination of approaches. Because of the nature of developmental delays and the many behaviour combinations that can occur, no one approach is effective in alleviating all symptoms. We provide a structured program that can include a one-on-one educator to child ratio and various types of assessments and therapies including:
Our interventions build on the interests of the child, follow a highly structured schedule of activities, and include some degree of inclusion (depending on the child). If needed, we use extensive visuals to accompany instruction. Parent and staff training, transition planning and follow-up are provided.
All of our programs and therapies are structured specifically to the child’s needs as well as their family’s needs. This way the child develops academic and functional living skills. It is our goal that every child who leaves our center does so with the building blocks for individual growth and development that will serve as stepping stones for future independence, opportunities and personal choice once in the community.