Norma wasn’t a stranger to Early Intervention. Two of her children had received services in the past, and she knew first-hand the difference access to these services could make in a child’s life. However when Elizabeth, her now six-month-old baby was born, it was a different set of circumstances.
“Our baby was not able to feed or latch and no one could help us or give me answers. She was rejecting breast feeding and the bottle wasn’t working,” Norma shared. Elizabeth’s parents were fearful because of Elizabeth’s lack of feeding, and while doctor’s told them things would soon improve, even the lactation consultants could not provide necessary solutions. After seeing five different doctors, one final visit to a different lactation consultant resulted in a referral for an early intervention evaluation through Aprendamos.
“They gave us an earlier appointment to accommodate us since we felt like it was an emergency,” Norma said. “The intake process was amazing. They checked all her milestones and referred me to a dentist because they identified intense lip ties on our baby.” With newfound hope, Norma began the process of finding solutions for Elizabeth. “We went to the dentist and my baby was able to have a surgery to help everything. Because of Aprendamos, we finally got the help we needed,” she shared.
Elizabeth continues to develop and strengthen her skills daily. When we asked Norma what the biggest impact of Early Intervention has been for her baby, she said, “It was knowing what was wrong and being able to feed our baby. The therapist provided exercises for us to help our baby and
in a sense, the therapist saved our baby’s life!”
Every day, babies like Elizabeth benefit from Aprendamos Early Intervention services. We can’t wait to see Elizabeth and all the other children we have the honor to serve reach their milestones!
