What is Early Steps?
Getting the right services at the right time can really make a difference for children with special developmental needs. The Early Steps Program at Miami Children's Hospital assures that early intervention services and supporting resources are available for young children with special needs from birth to age three. If your child has a disability, a developmental delay (i.e. is slow to begin crawling, walking or talking), or vision, hearing, feeding or other problems that place him/her at risk for developmental delay, and you live in the southern part of Miami Dade County, your family may be eligible for services through this program (if you live in another area of South Florida, we can assist you in finding the right program for your child).

The Program is a part of the State of Florida Children's Medical Services and is funded by what is called "Part C" of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) IDEA (What is IDEA, Part C?) is a federal program that helps organizations such as Miami Children's Hospital and the State of Florida provide family-centered, early intervention services. For specific information on the State's program, see the Early Steps statewide website. The program at Miami Children's is one of 16 programs in the State. To see why Early Steps is so important, click here.

Who Can Receive Services?
Any infant and toddler (under the age of three) with developmental concerns can be referred by families, physicians, professionals or other people in the community. Children may be eligible if they have an established condition that has a high probability of resulting in disability or developmental delay (e.g., Downs Syndrome) or if they have a developmental delay (e.g., having trouble communicating, processing information, etc.).

Your child will be evaluated by a team of specialists, including a Primary Service Coordinator and one or more of the following clinicians to determine his or her eligibility: physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech/language therapist, psychologist, developmental specialist or registered nurse.

Click here to see the Early Steps Growth and Developmental Chart.

A child's future can be brighter when necessary care and treatment is provided early in life. To get more information on the Miami Children's Hospital Early Steps Program, please call (786) 268-2611. Our offices are located in the Miami Children's South Dade Center outpatient facility in southern Dade County at 17615 SW 97 Avenue, Palmetto Bay, Florida 33157.