ROBIN Palacios, director of the Public School System’s Early Intervention Services or EIS, said the average age of children in the program is 18 months which she wants lowered.
EIS assists the developmental needs of infants and toddlers with Down syndrome, deafness, autism, and other developmental disabilities at no cost to families, said Palacios, the Rotary Club of Saipan’s guest speaker on Tuesday.
Palacios said EIS has a staff of three teachers, one physical therapist, one occupational therapist, and three service coordinators.
Their responsibilities include developing individual plans that support everyday learning of children with disabilities.
Palacios said her staff is also tasked with coaching parents in best practices for nurturing their children.
Currently, EIS serves 74 families on Saipan, three on Tinian, and four on Rota. However, throughout a school year that number can go beyond 140.
Palacios said grant funds have provided medical devices such as hearing aids and specialized chairs, which normally cost thousands of dollars, completely free to children in the CNMI.
Children can avail themselves of EIS assistance from as early as birth, but early identification is needed to achieve this.
“The younger the child is identified, the more time you will have to serve and work on developing skills with these families,” Palacios told the Rotarians. “We need your help to share our program information with others to help others know about who we are and how we can support families.”
Robin Palacios, standing behind the podium, speaks to Rotarians about Early Intervention Services. Also in photo: Rotary Club of Saipan President-elect Irene Holl, President Wendell Posadas, Secretary Joann Aquino and Vice President Jessy Loomis.
