The Arc of Essex County’s Shapiro Early Intervention Program is a cornerstone of support for local families with children from birth to age three who are experiencing or are at risk for developmental delays. Funded by the New Jersey Department of Health, Shapiro provides in-home therapeutic and educational services tailored to each child’s unique needs, with staff who are extensively trained to meet the highest standards.

Shapiro was established in 1984 and the administrative office is currently based out of The Arc’s Stepping Stones School in Fairfield. The program offers services that include occupational and speech therapy, social work, developmental intervention, behavioral support, and caregiver training—all delivered in the child’s natural environment, which could be home or a childcare center, to help foster comfort, with therapies and exercises taking place in a familiar setting.

“The New Jersey Early Intervention System uses a coaching and collaborative model,” says Elisa Cohen, Director of the Shapiro Early Intervention Program. “Our team coaches parents and caregivers on how to use things in their home and everyday routines to help their child develop and build skills, whether it’s working on following multi-step directions during mealtime or gross motor skills while doing laundry.”

What makes Shapiro exceptional is its personalized approach. Once Shapiro is assigned to a case, every effort is made to match families with practitioners who best fit their needs. Shapiro employs approximately 75 staff members who travel to the homes of nearly 100 participating children to deliver therapies, guidance, and support to families. The frequency of visits and type of specialists who visit each home are determined at the Initial Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) which takes place prior to agency assignment and is based on child’s diagnosis, evaluation scores, and family priorities and concerns. “We’ve always prioritized assigning the best possible person or team for each child,” says Cohen. “Christina Hernandez, our Assistant Director, works hard to make sure each case is matched with the right staff member based on what each family needs. We have staff that work really well together as a team to support families throughout their time with us in Early Intervention and as they move on.”

Feedback from families has been heartening. A few examples include:

• “[My child]’s team is the best thing that has happened to me, I am forever grateful for them. They are part of the reason [my child] is going to be someone in this life.”
• “I have seen a lot of progress in the past 3 months. [My child] is allowing us to sit more and read with her as well as starting to communicate her needs more. It has been an absolute pleasure working with [our practitioner]. My daughter has gravitated towards her and looks forward to her sessions. I have really seen a lot of progress since joining this program and so grateful to Early Intervention.”
• “We’ve seen growth in both language and social skills, and he continues to show improvement with the support of his therapists. We truly appreciate the support and services provided so far.”

For more information, visit The Arc of Essex County’s EI and Education page or contact the Shapiro Early Intervention Program directly at shapiro@arcessex.org.