Significantly more attention has been paid in recent years to addressing the needs of children with severe developmental delays and diagnoses like autism. But a new study finds that we're not offering the best help to kids who may have more mild to moderate needs. The study looks at how Connecticut, and communities in four other states, use what's called Mid-Level Developmental Assessment, or MLDA, to help identify mild to moderate behavioral and developmental concerns in children under age 6. Things like speech delays or behavioral issues. The IDA-2 co-author Susan Vater led the MLDA design and development and the IDA-2 is a featured developmental assessment process and measure used in the MLDA. IDA-2 is also used in a range of agencies and services including B-3 Early Intervention/ Part C in many states, Early Head Start, home visiting programs, primary health care centers, neonatal follow up programs, Birth to Three/IDEA Part C and other early intervention programs, family programs, behavioral health clinics and programs, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing agencies, infant toddler early care centers, and many others.
IDA is administered by a range of professionals across the many developmental disciplines such as child development specialists, early childhood special educators, early intervention professionals, nurses and nurse practitioners, occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, physicians (pediatricians, family practice, child psychiatrists), physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, audiologists & nutritionists.
We are pleased that IDA-2 is a developmental measure used in the new MDLA.
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