Interview with Early On Co-Coordinator-- Services for children birth to three

I recently spoke with Ann Gendron, Co-coordinator of MARESA’s Early-On program.  My goal is to start a series of interviews of local professionals who help families get the support and care they need for their loved ones on the autism spectrum.  I started with Ann because she works with the youngest group.  I’d like to talk with representative professionals for each of life’s stages.  If you’d like to recommend someone for this (yourself or someone you know), please let me know.

My first question for Ann (she is so approachable in person, it seems natural to call her by her first name) was how she’d like to introduce herself.  She said she is a native Yooper.  She studied Audiology and Speech at Michigan State and earned a Masters in Speech and Communication here in Marquette at NMU.   She has worked as a Speech Language Therapist for over 20 years, working with all age groups in different positions, mostly in Michigan.  Now she serves at Early On Co-coordinator with Cara Zanetti, who’s background is in social work. 

My first exposure to MARESA and Early On was hearing about the playgroup they hold on Tuesday mornings from another mom whose son had spent time in the NICU when he was born.  For that reason, I thought they were connected to the hospital.  Obviously, I am not from Michigan and am still learning how the different agencies work here.  MARESA, is the Marquette-Alger Regional Education Service Agency, serving the nine local school districts, such as MAPS (Marquette Area Public Schools)) of Marquette and Alger County.  Early On is a statewide program that serves the birth to three-year-old population.

 As Ann said when I interviewed her, all states are required to have birth-to-three programs.  When I asked her where this requirement originated, she said it goes back to IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).  As she explained, Part C of IDEA sets up interventions for children from birth to three and Part B addresses special education.  Just as children with disabilities in school are given an IEP (Individual Education Plan), the families who qualify for services from Early On are set up with an IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) that outlines specific goals and objectives for each child based on their individual needs.

 I asked Ann what would happen if a parent or other concerned family member were to call the main MARESA number to say they were worried about a young child.  She said their secretary would ask questions to collect demographic information and then the call would be referred to one of the co-coordinators.  After an initial phone consultation, they would offer to give an assessment that would entail completing questionnaires and allowing the child to be observed and tested for whatever delays might be present.  She said she likes to make sure families have a clear understanding of what to expect from the assessment process. 

As described, assessments aren’t like a medical diagnosis; they are looking to see if there is a developmental need for their services, and how can Early On provide support to a family.  There are two ways individuals meet eligibility criteria for Early On services.  The first would be if the child is found to have a 20% or greater delay in one or more areas (such as communication or gross motor development) and the second would be if the child has an established condition identified by another entity such as a doctor, clinic, or other agency.

 The next question, then, was what services Early On provided, once they identified an eligible child.  Ann explained that, that depends on the child and what the needs are.  They have speech language therapists, physical therapists, social workers, and occupational therapists that work with families in their homes.  They also provide a weekly playgroup for children who need socialization with peers.  They also work with other agencies such as Pathways, the Marquette County Health Department, and Early Head Start that might be better equipped to meet a particular family’s needs.

 “So, then, the phone calls go in both directions?” I asked.

 “Absolutely,” said Ann.

Many of their referrals come from doctors and from the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the hospital.   As I mentioned, people can just call on their own.  And there is an online form on the state website.  Online referrals to the state site will be forwarded to the local office.  For Marquette and Alger Counties, the local office is on E. Ohio Street in Marquette.

I asked about what happens when a child turns three.  I knew from experience that after age three, services are available through the local school district.  What I didn’t know before I talked with Ann was that by the time a child in the Early On program is 33 months old, there is a plan in place for how that transition will be handled.

For more information about Early On, check out their website.  There are lots of cool resources, many of them fun and interactive, linked to their site that are appropriate for children (and their parents).  If you check out the disabilities tab, their are many resources listed, specific to autism and aspergers syndrome.