By Dennis Z. Kuo and Megan K. Tracy

New York’s Early Intervention Program is a powerful force for good in our state. As pediatricians, we know the crucial role of Early Intervention – the program, not just the idea – for children at risk for developmental delay or with complex medical needs.

When a child isn’t sitting up, walking or talking when expected, time is of the essence. The earlier therapies begin, the better the outcome.

Decades of research shows that intervening early in the life of a child with developmental delays and disabilities is far better than waiting until they enter school. A February article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open demonstrates that when infants or toddlers receive speech, occupational and physical therapy through Early Intervention before age 3, they are significantly more likely to meet proficiency standards in third grade language arts and math.

New York’s Early Intervention Program enrolls 65,000 to 70,000 children every year. Currently, however, there are long waiting lists for children due to a lack of qualified EI providers.

Due to funding shortfalls, New York EI professionals are paid less than what they were paid in the 1990s. As a result, there are 11% fewer EI providers across the state compared with 2019, even as the number of licensed professionals has grown.

The downstream impact is huge. Delays in EI services put our children at a disadvantage when entering preschool, school, and then the labor force. The demand for K-12 special education classrooms is growing in New York, and supplying the funding needed to meet students’ educational needs is an ongoing challenge.

Taxpayers must pay for increased special education services, and the impact in high school and the labor force beyond is significant.

We encourage Gov. Kathy Hochul and members of the State Legislature to make the investments needed, including an 8% increase in rates paid to the professionals working in the program.

Every child in New York who needs Early Intervention services should receive them. We can’t wait until next year, and neither can the children who will soon be our preschoolers and elementary students. The time to invest more in New York’s Early Intervention Program is now.

Dennis Z. Kuo, M.D., MHS, FAAP, and Megan K. Tracy, M.D., FAAP, are pediatricians in Western New York.

Original story here: https://buffalonews.com/opinion/article_a298b55a-a2e7-4653-a9d1-a76042eaba81.html