Early Childhood Development
ICAAP’s Early Childhood Development Initiatives focus on early childhood cognitive development birth to three. Efforts include providing pediatrician education and technical assistance; working on policy, advocacy, and systems improvement issues; and connecting providers and families to community resources for education, treatment, and other services such as early intervention.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Autism is a complex developmental disability that causes problems with social interaction and communication. Symptoms usually start before age three and can cause delays or problems in many different skills that develop from infancy to adulthood. Different people with autism can have very different symptoms. Health care providers think of autism as a “spectrum” disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. One person may have mild symptoms, while another may have serious symptoms, but they both have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
ICAAP’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) efforts include providing pediatrician education, working on policy and advocacy issues, and connecting providers and families to community resources for education, treatment, and other services. [...more]
Bright Futures
Bright Futures is a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that addresses children’s health needs in the context of family and community. In addition to use in pediatric practice, many states implement Bright Futures principles, guidelines and tools to strengthen the connections between state and local programs, pediatric primary care, families, and local communities.
ICAAP is now partnering with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to promote Bright Futures in Illinois, to assist in integrating Bright Futures into state programs, and to improve awareness of Bright Futures among primary care providers, families, and advocates. [...more]
Early Intervention (EI)
Illinois’ Early Intervention program’s mission is to assure that families who have infants and toddlers, birth to three, with diagnosed disabilities, developmental delays or substantial risk of significant delays receive resources and supports that assist them in maximizing their child’s development, while respecting the diversity of families and communities. [...more]
Enhancing Developmentally Oriented Primary Care (EDOPC)
The Enhancing Developmentally Oriented Primary Care Project (EDOPC) is a resource for healthcare providers in Illinois. We work to improve the delivery and financing of preventive health and developmental services for children birth to age three. EDOPC is a partnership of the Advocate Health Care, Healthy Steps Program and Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics.
Through the EDOPC Web site, you can enroll in online training on care coordination, developmental screening, domestic violence screening, perinatal maternal depression screening, and social/emotional screening. [...more]
Illinois Healthy Beginnings II
Illinois Healthy Beginnings II (IHB2) is is a project of Assuring Better Child Health and Development III (ABCD), in partnership with the National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP), the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP). IHB2 brings together medical homes, Early Intervention (EI) and community service providers (CSP) in order to improve communication and collaboration on behalf of children at risk for developmental delay. [...more]
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For more information about ICAAP’s Early Childhood Development Initiatives, please contact:
Juanona Brewster, MDiv, MTS, MJ
Director, Early Childhood Development
312/733-1026 ext. 203
jbrewster@illinoisaap.com
Rachel Sacks, MPH
Manager, Early Childhood Development
312/733-1026 ext. 218
rsacks@illinoisaap.com
