For many families, that question isn’t just background noise. It can feel like a constant companion in their relationship with their child.

We recently had a young mother in our Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program. Her son had motor delays, and despite being a Physical Therapist herself (or perhaps because of it), the worry about those delays had tangled itself up with something deeper: a feeling that she just wasn’t measuring up. The flood of parenting advice and content hadn’t helped. Precious time with her son had become laden with strategies and measuring, and the beautiful, unique dance of their relationship had gotten lost in the noise.

Along with developmental support for birth to 3-year-olds, our ESIT team offers an approach called Promoting First Relationships (PFR), a research-based program developed at the University of Washington that focuses on attunement between a caregiver and their child. PFR isn’t about handing parents a list of things to do differently. It’s built on the premise that most caregivers are already doing so many meaningful, loving, connective things with their children every single day, and sometimes they just need someone to help them see it. Every caregiver has the capacity to more deeply understand themselves and their relationship with their child.

One of PFR’s most powerful tools is video review. A trained facilitator films a short, ordinary interaction, playing on the floor, sharing a snack, reading a book, and then they watch it back together. With a supportive guide pointing out the moments of connection as they unfold, something remarkable often happens.

For this young mother, it happened the moment she first watched herself with her son.

Her facilitator showed her, specifically and genuinely, all the ways she was already tuned in to her child. The way she followed his lead. The way he lit up when she spoke to him. The way she instinctively responded when he vocalized to her. She had been so focused on what she feared she was getting wrong that she couldn’t see that she was doing the most important things right.

She was moved to tears, not from sadness, but from relief and recognition.

Her son’s motor delay didn’t disappear that day. But something shifted. She began to see herself not as a mother falling short, but as her child’s most important relationship: his safe place, his most important teacher, the person who knows him best. The importance of caregiver/child attunement cannot be overstated; it is the foundation of all learning and every milestone.

This is what building caregiver confidence looks like. Not a checklist. Not a perfect score on a milestone chart. A mirror, held up with honesty and kindness, reflecting what is always already there and using that to build upon. Supporting a caregiver’s confidence in their ability to support their child and to honor the vitalness of their attunement lasts a lifetime.

This is connection: the value at the heart of everything Encompass does. Our Early Supports team doesn’t arrive with answers. We show up to walk alongside you, to listen, to notice, and to remind you of your own strengths when the world has made them hard to hear.

If you have a child under three and think your family might benefit from ESIT services, we’d love to connect. We’re here, and we see you.

To learn more about the Encompass Early Support for Infants and Toddlers program, visit https://encompassnw.org/program/esit/ or call us at 425.888.3347 ext. 2303.

Resources: 

Promoting First Relationships

The post You’re Already Doing So Much Right: How Encompass Helps Families See Their Own Strengths first appeared on Encompass.

In the latest episode of our Parent Talks podcast, we sit down with Encompass Developmental Specialist Emily Arkus. As a member of our Early Support for Infants and Toddlers team, Emily discusses the most common developmental milestones, the misconceptions that often surround them, and provides guidance on when caregivers should seek help if they have concerns.

Contributors:

Emily Arkus, Encompass Developmental Specialist

Caley George, Encompass Marketing and Communications Manager

Thanks for listening!

View All Podcast Episodes

The post Parent Talks Podcast: Milestones and Misconceptions first appeared on Encompass.

At some point, the day arrives when the baby is ready to be discharged home with their family. While this is a day to be celebrated and is often filled with hope and joy, many caregivers leave with a sense of uncertainty and even fear. All the close support and guidance provided by a trained and informed care team does not follow the family home. This is when the next part of the journey can begin – home-based support through the Encompass Early Supports for Infants and Toddlers program, or ESIT. When a family arrives home with a premature baby, there can continue to be multiple concerns. Babies that have spent time in the NICU are at an increased risk for feeding struggles, poor growth, and developmental delay. And the babies are not the only ones at risk. Caregivers have been shown to be at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. When this occurs, the relationship between the infant and the caregiver can be stressed and negatively impacted in other ways.

Even when a baby has not exhibited any immediate concerns by being born early, it is standard practice to have follow-up assessments completed due to the increased risk of delays. Once a family contacts us or is referred by a medical provider, the timeline for receiving an evaluation and subsequent therapy is fast-tracked. The infant and their caregiver are quickly matched with a team of providers with specialized training in NICU-to-home transitions and care. These knowledgeable professionals provide ESIT services in the comfort of the home environment to support the infant and the caregivers to increase positive social-emotional development, attachment, and developmental and medical outcomes.  Nutrition support, occupational and physical therapy, feeding therapy, speech and language therapy, caregiver mental health screening and referral, as well as vision and hearing services, are all part of the support tailored to each family’s unique needs. As the child gets older, services can support preschool readiness skills, and peer interaction and socialization. Family resource coordination is also a vital service every family receives that offers practical and helpful resources and can assist families in advocating for what they need.

Research has shown that preterm infants are often not referred to early intervention programs upon discharge from the NICU. This is concerning given that prematurity is accompanied by an increased risk for developmental challenges before age 3, as well as early onset of a variety of health issues later in life such as hypertension, cardiovascular events, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, pregnancy complications, and osteoporosis. Therefore, it’s important that caregivers consider contacting their local early intervention program for a developmental evaluation in the first couple of months of the infant’s life. It is also common for parents to contact the program before discharge from the hospital so that services can begin promptly when returning home. ESIT can support a child until they turn 3 years old and helps families make the transition to school-based services and/or outpatient therapy.

The Encompass ESIT program serves the greater Snoqualmie Valley region, including North Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City, Carnation, Duvall, Issaquah, Sammamish, and Renton. Email us at ESIT@encompassnw.org or call 425-888-3347.

To locate the ESIT program that serves the area closest to you, contact Within Reach at info@withinreachwa.org or call 1-800-322-2588.

*Co-authored by ESIT South Team Supervisor Kim Hall, MS, OTR/L, and Encompass Family Resource Coordinator Sarah Johnson, RDN, CD. 

The post When Baby is Born Early – The Journey to Early Support for Infants and Toddlers first appeared on Encompass.