Not every child in the NICU will need or qualify for Early Intervention. However, if you are faced with the possibility, we wanted to ensure parents know their resources and options. Early intervention (EI) refers to services and supports offered to children. In Alabama, children are eligible for EI if they are experiencing a delay in cognition development, a physical development such as vision or hearing, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development skills.

Why Does This Matter

In Alabama, 30% of families report at least one concern about their child’s development. The most critical brain development years occur between pre-birth and age three. Knowing your resources and options within the Birmingham area is crucial (Help Me Grow Alabama, 2023).

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services

The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services is a state agency that serves individuals in Alabama with disabilities throughout their lives. Their website contains great information about Early intervention to support parents. These supports include:

  • An informational video about what Early Intervention is. To view this video, click here.
  • A list of frequently asked questions and various resources about Early Intervention programs. For this information, click here.
  • Children’s Rehabilitation Services is a program under the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. This organization offers services for children with special health care needs and their families. For more information, click here.

ADRs: Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. ADRS | Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. (n.d.). https://www.rehab.alabama.gov/services/ei 

Help Me Grow Alabama

Help Me Grow Alabama is an organization that connects families to health and developmental resources. This group works with children from birth to age eight. They offer different resources, screenings, and support to help parents. Some of their programming includes:

  • For a list of resources and materials about Early Intervention, click here.
  • For information about understand your child’s development, click here.
  • To understand more about developmental screenings that may be used, click here.
  • To learn more about your child’s developmental milestones, click here.
  • For a detailed list of different activities parent’s can complete with their child, click here.
  • For a list of upcoming events in Alabama, click here.
  • To read the Help Me Grow Alabama blog, click here.
  • To access resources in Spanish, click here.
  • To learn more about Help Me Grow Alabama’s “Books, Balls, and Blocks”, click here.
  • To sign up online for Help Me Grow programing, click here.

Home – Help Me Grow Alabama. Help Me Grow Alabama. (2019, May 24). https://helpmegrowalabama.org/ 

Support By 6 – United Way of Central Alabama

Success By 6 is a United Way program that aims to prepare preschool age children to succeed in school. This organization, supports a whole child approach to education. Targeting both cognitive skills and social and emotional development. This program is available in eight different counties including: Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair, and Walker. To learn more about Success By 6, call 205-231-5131 or visit their website by clicking here.

Success by 6. United Way of Central Alabama. (2022, February 14). https://www.uwca.org/our-work/student-success/success-by-6/ 

Children’s of Alabama

Children’s of Alabama offers Early Intervention services (CEI). These services are offered to children from birth to thirty-six months old. The program provides services to children demonstrating developmental delays developmentally. This may be motor, cognitive, language, social/emotional, or self-help development delays. For more information, call 205-638-6820 or click here to visit their website.

Early intervention services. Children’s of Alabama. (n.d.). https://www.childrensal.org/services/early-intervention-services 

Alabama Department of Mental Health

The Alabama Department of Mental Health offers information and resources for parents about Early Intervention. The department site details how Early Intervention works and what to expect as a family member. For more information call 1-800-543-3098 (English) or 1-866-450-2838 (Spanish). To visit the department website, click here.

Infant and early childhood special programs. Alabama Department of Mental Health. (n.d.). https://mh.alabama.gov/infant-and-early-childhood-special-programs/ 

Alabama’s Early Intervention System

Alabama’s Early Intervention System is a division of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. It further discusses Early Intervention and the importance of knowing when to enroll your child. The website additionally offers a resource to assist parents with finding Early Intervention services close to your county. For more information, click here.

Alabama’s early intervention system. Never Too Early AL. (n.d.). https://rehab.alabama.gov/NeverTooEarlyAL/home#eiEligible 

The Arc of Central Alabama

The Arc of Central Alabama is an organization that provides Early Intervention services to toddlers and their families. The Arc takes all referrals as long as they come through the proper channels. The organization serves people of all ages throughout their lifetime. Any individual interested in enrolling in any Arc programming must be diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability by a medical professional. For more information, click here.

Early intervention: The arc of central alabama. The Arc of Central Alabama |. (2022, March 16). https://www.arcofcentralalabama.org/programs/early-intervention-program/ 

The Bell Center

The Bell Center is an early intervention program based in Birmingham, Alabama. Programs at the center promote growth in gross and fine motor skills and language, cognition, self-help, and social skills. The organization offers many different programs. For more information about programming and enrollment, click here.

The Bell Center – Home . The Bell Center. (2023, October 2). https://thebellcenter.org/