“Early Intervention Services” at The Florida Center constitutes three programs that include The Starfish Academy: Early Childhood Education, Community Outreach and Developmental Therapy. These programs provide a unique blend of evaluation, intervention and support services to children ages birth through age 8, while supporting their families and community care providers in meeting their individual needs. Each program provides a comprehensive, family centered team approach to learning that enables us to help children achieve their highest potential using best practice, expertise, patience, and sensitivity.

Children often come to our centers who have or are “at risk” for developmental delay, including behavioral challenges and/or established conditions such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, etc. We provide services at two locations in Sarasota and North Port and in the community in family homes and other community based agencies. Our professional staff includes teachers, teacher assistants, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and behavior specialists.   

The Starfish Academy: Early Childhood Education Program serves children 18 months - 5 years. It is an inclusion program that allows both typically developing children and children with special needs to participate in classroom activities that promote growth and development in areas of cognitive, language, motor, language, self-help and social-emotional skills.  The Developmental Therapy Program staff of licensed Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists provide therapy for young children birth through age 8.  In addition to traditional therapy, sensory integration therapy, therapeutic listening, feeding therapy and augmentative technology support and interventions are provided.

• 90% of parents/caregivers will engage in their child’s classroom or therapy activities.
• 90% of participants indicate that they are satisfied or very satisfied with the services provided by the program.
•  90% of children enrolled in The Starfish Academy will demonstrate improvement in two or more identified areas of need following assessment by teacher, therapists or early interventionist.
• 95% of parents, teachers, and/or early care providers will increase their knowledge after receiving training on child development topics enabling them to identify or work with children with special needs.

• Children will exhibit progress toward age appropriate cognitive, communication, motor, social/emotional and self-help developmental domains.
• Families will be involved in their child’s care and education.
• Children will require less special education services.
  
• Parents/caregivers will indicate that they are satisfied with their child’s educational services.

Children participating in our education program are assessed to determine their individual needs using curriculum and other standardized assessment tools. Current evidence-based tools, to name a few, include Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3, ASQ-SE), Opening the World of Learning (OWL) Curriculum, MindUP Curriculum, Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) and the Growing Healthy Kids nutritional program. Assessment results provide guidance to our early childhood educators, parents and therapist in developing, implementing and supporting creative and stimulating classroom activities. It provides excellent baseline information for monitoring progress toward learning outcomes.

Children enrolled in developmental therapy receive initial and annual assessments using standardized evaluation tools, clinical observations and parent/caregiver input. Staff work with families and teachers to develop pertinent goals to support growth in identified areas of need and monitors progress on a quarterly basis.

Children receiving behavior support receive an initial assessment using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) with targeted educational goals to follow that help guide the teacher in meeting the needs of the child.

Healthy Families Sarasota is a nationally accredited, community-based, voluntary home visiting program proven to prevent child abuse and neglect. Trained paraprofessional family support workers provide information, guidance, and emotional and practical support to families in their homes. Healthy Families Sarasota initiates services during pregnancy or shortly after the birth of the baby. Services are provided for up to five years, with intensity and duration based on the needs of the family. At a minimum, weekly home visits occur for six months following the child’s birth. During services, family support workers educate parents about child health, safety and development, teach problem-solving skills, conduct screening for developmental delays, model positive parent-child interaction, provide social support, connect parents and children to a medical home, and make referrals to other support services as needed. 

An independent five year comparison of Healthy Families Florida (HFF) released in 2005 concluded that HFF has a significant impact on preventing child abuse and neglect. HFF participants had 20% less child abuse and neglect than all families in their target service area, in spite of the fact that participants are at significantly higher risk for abuse or neglect than the overall population. Children whose families did not receive Healthy Families services were nearly four times more likely to suffer maltreatment before their second birthday than children in families who completed the program. In Sarasota, of 675 children who participated in services last year, 96% had no verified findings of child maltreatment during services. Of 68 children of families who successfully completed the program during this period, 99% had no findings of maltreatment within twelve months following completion.

An independent five year comparison of Healthy Families Florida (HFF) released in 2005 concluded that HFF has a significant impact on preventing child abuse and neglect. HFF participants had 20% less child abuse and neglect than all families in their target service area, in spite of the fact that participants are at significantly higher risk for abuse or neglect than the overall population. Children whose families did not receive Healthy Families services were nearly four times more likely to suffer maltreatment before their second birthday than children in families who completed the program. In Sarasota, of 675 children who participated in services last year, 96% had no verified findings of child maltreatment during services. Of 68 children of families who successfully completed the program during this period, 99% had no findings of maltreatment within twelve months following completion.

Alyssa was eight months pregnant and in an abusive marriage for four years. She did not know how to get out. She had not graduated from high school and had no idea how she could support a new baby without a good paying job.  She was scared and felt alone.

• 90% of participants will indicate that they are satisfied or very satisfied with the services provided.
• 80% of children will demonstrate increased self-confidence.
• 80% of parents will demonstrate increased confidence in effective parenting.
  

• Satisfaction surveys will be completed on a quarterly basis
• The Parent/Child Relationships Scale will be administered at intake and upon termination of services.
  

The purpose of The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic is to diagnose disorders resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure, offer assistance through therapeutic interventions, and to continue to identify at-risk mothers. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the most severe of these disorders. Each year in the United States between 35,000 and 40,000 babies are born with a disorder related to prenatal exposure to alcohol.

• 100% of children evaluated for FASD are accurately diagnosed;
• 85% of children with FASD are referred and connected to appropriate services within two months of evaluation;
• 80% of children improve their ability to function in their home and school settings;
• 80% of parents report a better understanding of their child’s behavior since initiating intervention services; and
•  90% of participants indicate that they are satisfied or very satisfied with the services provided by the program.

Our goal is to prevent, identify and diagnose individuals of all ages with known or suspected prenatal alcohol exposure and help families raising children with an FASD better understand their child’s unique brain difference.