Service
Early Intervention (18 months – 5 years)
Play-based, naturalistic teaching during the years when skill-building compounds fastest.
Who this is for
- Children roughly 18 months to 5 years old
- Families who have just received a diagnosis and want to start now
- Children transitioning out of Help Me Grow at age three
- Children entering preschool special education who need support alongside it
What it looks like
Sessions look like play, because for this age group, play is the teaching.
We follow your child's lead — the toy they picked, the game they invented — and build communication into it.
Short, frequent teaching moments spread through the session beat long drills every time at this age.
Naps, meals, and your family's rhythm come first. We schedule around your child's day rather than the other way around.
Goals we commonly work on
- Early requesting
- Joint attention
- Imitation
- Play skills
- Early language or AAC
- Responding to name
- Tolerating transitions
- Self-care beginnings
Your child's goals are written for your child. This list is what families in this service most often work on, not a menu we assign.
How we measure progress
- Curriculum-based assessment of early language and learning milestones.
- Session-by-session data on communication attempts and independent responses.
- Monthly review with you, with clear next targets.
How this fits with Ohio's systems
Help Me Grow is Ohio's Part C early intervention system, serving children from birth to age three. ABA can run alongside it, and we coordinate goals with your Help Me Grow team with your written consent.
At age three, services transition to your school district's preschool special education program and an IEP. That transition is a common moment for things to fall through the cracks, and we help families prepare for it.
Starting early matters because young brains build skills quickly and because early communication prevents years of frustration. That's a real reason to start — not a reason to panic. Children who start later still make meaningful progress.
Related services
Comprehensive ABA
Full-scope programming for young children building foundational communication, play, and daily-living skills at home.
Learn moreParent & Caregiver Training
Scheduled coaching with the BCBA so you can support your child confidently between sessions, not only during them.
Learn more
Let's start with a conversation.
Fifteen minutes, no obligation. Tell us what's going on, and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit — and what to do next if we aren't.