BOOKS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD:
www.gryphonhouse.com
www.brookespublishing.com

BABY PRODUCTS:
www.onestepahead.com
www.babysmileandgrow.com
www.beyondplay.com
infant massage educational materials: www.infantmassageinstitute.com

SAFETY & BABY PRODUCT RECALLS:
www.childsafetystore.com
www.safebeginnings.com
www.babycenter.com/product-recall-finder

PARENTING A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD:
www.eparent.com
www.collaboratingpartners.com
www.nichcy.org/Pages/Home.aspx

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
american academy of pediatrics: www.aap.org
occupational therapy: www.aota.org
physical therapy: www.apta.org
speech-language pathology, audiology: www.asha.org
interdisciplinary council on development and learning disorders: www.icdl.com

EARLY CHILDHOOD & EARLY INTERVENTION (E.I. or E.C.I.):
www.dec-sped.org/
www.lookatmegrow.org

The following website gives an overview of early intervention and contact information for early intervention programs in each of the 50 states (USA), District of Columbia, Dept. of Defense, & the US territories:

www.nectac.org/contact/Ptccoord.asp

Each of the states and territories of the USA has an early intervention (EI or ECI) program for young children ages birth to three years who qualifies for specialized services due to a medical diagnosis or developmental delay in one or more areas of development: communication, physical/ motor, cognition, social-emotional and adaptive (e.g. eating, sleeping) skills. Some states also qualify children who are developing atypically even though they can perform the developmental skill.  Examples of atypical development include poor sensory processing and abnormal muscle tone. Some of the professionals that typically offer their specialized services with the early intervention program include: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, early intervention specialist / developmental instruction, dietician, psychologist, licensed social worker, and teachers for the hearing and visually impaired.  Even though EI services are a part of the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)- Part C, not every state runs their early intervention programs the same.  Some programs offer children and their families these specialized services within the natural environment such as at the home, daycare, or in the community.  Other programs may offer services at centers where the family and child go to the facility.  No matter the location, babies will make the most progress when the families are involved in the therapeutic process.  After all, these specialized services may occur in a range of a couple of hours a month up to a few hours a week, but the majority of the baby's time is still spent with the family members and/or caregivers.