Knowledge is power 🙌🏾, but… Google can steer us wrong because all websites are not created equally (looking at you Wikipedia). That’s why I put together this list of resources for families and professionals in early intervention and preschool! Organizations and websites change all the time as new research is published and organizations go through transitions in leadership, so when sharing with families be sure to review the information you provide and ensure links and content are accurate and up to date.
In this post, I provide a list of informational websites for early childhood intervention including
- Organization name and affiliations
- Link to website (pink arrow →)
- Overview of topics covered
Using Online Resources for Early Childhood Intervention
When sharing informational websites for early childhood intervention, be prepared to accommodate families for equitable access to online resources (for example, printing information for families, highlighting important points and explicitly discussing how the content relates to that family). Remember, equality and equity are not the same. Equality means everyone gets the same thing – regardless of their needs. Equity means providing responsive support based on individual needs. *Learn about responsive clinical practices in the free Quick Guide*
I recommend the following websites as trusted sources of information because the content was created and/or reviewed by professionals (physicians, academic researchers and clinicians).
Early Childhood Development and Milestones
Overview – This website includes information, videos, and games for young children. The milestones are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and resources are developed with and approved by expert pediatric physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.
Quoted from the website – “Free resources to help understand, track, and encourage your baby’s milestones for the best possible outcomes. Free tools to maximize all children’s motor, sensory, and communication development.”
This website has a wealth of information and resources for families and professionals (including early development & well-being, health and nutrition infant and early childhood mental health, parenting, and more). I have this one bookmarked and refer to it often!
According to the website – “ZERO TO THREE works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the early connections that are critical to their well-being and development.”
Get free resources to support families >> download caregiver handouts
Speech, Language and Hearing
→ American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Overview – The ASHA website includes resources to help families and professionals learn about communication development, disorders, and strategies to support development. ASHA aims to help all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders communicate. The ASHA website has a lot of technical information and jargon which can be tricky for families to navigate. The link I provided above goes to the “public” page that has links to what caregivers often find useful.
Here is the mission quoted from the website – “The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is committed to ensuring that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders receive services to help them communicate effectively.”
Health and Safety
Overview – The American Association of Pediatrics Parenting Website – This site includes information about development throughout the lifespan (Ages & Stages – prenatal through adulthood), healthy living, safety & prevention, family life (family dynamics, work & play, community involvement and more), health issues and more.
Pulled from the website – “Bright Futures is a national health promotion initiative dedicated to the principle that every child deserves to be healthy and that optimal health involves a trusting relationship between the health professional, the child, the family, and the community as partners in health practice.”
Family and Caregiver Resources
→ Head Start (Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center)
The Office of Head Start helps young children from low-income families prepare to succeed in school through local programs. Head Start and Early Head Start programs promote children’s development through services that support early learning, health, and family well-being. You can go to the “Topics” section of this website for specific information that can be useful to any family.
→ The Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (created through Head Start)
The information and materials on this site aim to promote young children’s social and emotional development while reducing challenging behaviors.
Quoted from the website – “Family Voices is a national family-led organization of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities. Family Voices supports a national network of family organizations and promotes family/professional partnerships at all levels in order to improve healthcare services and policies affecting children.” This organization is dedicated to social justice and health equity. Their mission is to keep families at the center of children’s health care.
Online Resources for Families and Professionals – The Takeaway
Informational websites are a great source of information for families and professionals! I encourage you to keep a list of your favorites and keep in mind that websites can present challenges for families (internet access, information overload, and language differences). As a clinician, you may need to make accommodations for families when sharing online resources for early childhood development. I hope this post is helpful!
P.S. Don’t forget to grab your freebie >> Caregiver Handouts
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