Author: Emily Williams, Senior Psychologist
The Raleigh Children?s Developmental Services Agency
The Raleigh Children's Developmental Services Agency (CDSA) is the lead agency for early intervention services for children age birth to three in Wake County. The North Carolina Infant Toddler Program, the state?s interagency system of early intervention services for children birth to age three, is grounded by both federal and state legislation. The Individual?s with Disabilities Education Act (Part C: Birth to age three and Part B: ages 3 to 21) provides the legal framework for this early intervention system. The Raleigh CDSA was originally established as the Developmental Evaluation Center (DEC) in 1973, and under the reorganization of the early intervention system in North Carolina in 2004 was renamed the Children?s Developmental Services Agency. The Children?s Developmental Services Agency is now responsible for meeting the federally mandated services for children between the ages of birth to three with special needs, or who are at risk for developmental disabilities, by providing evaluations, service coordination, and a network of service providers. The Raleigh CDSA relies upon early intervention service providers to help meet outcomes for children and families in Wake County.
The director of the Raleigh CDSA is Marcia Mandel, Ph.D. Dr. Mandel has clinical and administrative experience in several other settings, including community mental health, pediatric psychology, and perinatal substance abuse services. She served as the Senior Psychologist of the Raleigh CDSA from 1998 until she was hired as the director of the agency in 2006.
Children receive an entry level evaluation to determine eligibility for Infant Toddler Program services. The members of our evaluation team have extensive training and experience in their respective fields, and include our pediatrician, family nurse practitioner, audiologist, psychologists, speech language pathologists, clinical social workers, educational diagnosticians, occupational therapists, and physical therapist. Initial evaluations are individualized for each child and family and provide assessments of the family?s concerns, priorities, and resources; assessment of the child?s cognitive development, communication skills, fine and gross motor skills, adaptive skills, vision and hearing, and social and emotional development; and medical information related to the child?s development. Each child?s development is then closely monitored, and they may be referred for further evaluation as the child?s developmental needs change.
All children in the Infant Toddler Program receive service coordination. Early Intervention Service Coordinators (EISCs) serve as a liaison between the families they serve and the providers of services (developmental therapy, speech therapy, etc). Through their on-going relationship with a family, they assist the family in the development the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), monitor services in the natural environment, and update the IFSP when initial goals are met and new goals are added. They are also responsible for helping families navigate the transition process from Infant Toddler Program services to Wake County Public Schools? Preschool services at age three.
We have been undergoing a significant growth spurt during the past year, as the demand for our services has increased steadily over the last decade. In 1976, the DEC employed 17 people including the director, administrative staff, and clinicians. Today, the Raleigh Children?s Developmental Services Agency employs 95 individuals.
Children are referred to our agency by their pediatricians, and by professionals at the Wake County Health Department, Department of Social Services, and other community agencies. In addition, parents may also make a direct referral should they have concerns about their child?s development. Should you have any developmental concerns about a child you serve, we encourage you to make a referral to the program.
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