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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-12-16, Page 5Home visitation program helps children develop By Joanne Buchanan Seventeen months ago Jacqueline- Pentland, daughter of Jim and Joanne Pentland of Lucknow, was born with a deformity of the spine. Today she is a bright, ac- tive and happy little girl who is learning to walk with braces on her legs from the waist down. She seems to be adjusting and developing well despite her physical problems and much of the credit for this adjustment and development can go to a special home visiting program funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and ad- ministered by CPRI Regional Developmental Service ('entre in London. • Rosemarie Evans of Goderich. previously a public health nurse for 13 years. is the home visitor for the CPRI program in Huron County and Jacqueline is only one of several infants she visits. In 1978. a research project was done in this county to determine the need of early intervention in families with infants who may be 'at risk'. for development. As a result of this project. the home visiting prografn was started for infants from birth to two years of age.. A child's develo lment can be 'at risk' for a number of reason';: mental retarda- tion. prematurity, low birth weight. complications at birth. physical deformities, brain damage and inade- quate caretaking or lack of emotional bonding related to socioeconomic disadvan- tages. low maternal educa- tion or poor maternal men- tal health. An infant may be referred to the program on the basis of any of these risk factors even if he or she is too young to be showing clear develop- ment delays. Mrs. Evans' referrals most often come from pediatricians, health nurses and various social agencies such as Family and Children's Services. Anyone can make a referral. Unfor- tunately. says Mrs. Evans, not many people know that the program exists. The aims of the program are preventive. It has been proven' in research studies that early intervention THE COUNTRY BAKERY The Finest In European Style Pastry is Our Specialty Butter Cream Tortes for All Occasions Fresh Bread and Rolls Daily A Delicious Variety of. Donuts Special Christmas Cookies and cakes available now. Also Mincemeat pies and tarts Try our Stollen Free draw on Ginger Bread House COUNTRY BAKERY 235-2525 reduces the severity of in- cidence of developmental problems of the infant in later years. "Early recognition and identification of the problem before the child gets to school is the key, ' f explains Mrs. Evans. As soon as possible after a referral. a preliminary assessment is done in the in- fant's home by two program staff members. If it is agreed that the infant will benefit. an individual program is then set up. Jacqueline was referred to Mrs. Evans by the Thames Valley Crippled Children's Centre in London soon after she was horn. She was then given a complete psy- chological testing by Mrs. Evans and the director of the infant stimulation program at ('PRI and a lear- ning program was set up. It mainly involves games which require Jacqueline to do certain tasks and which can be incorporated into her daily activities to help her with hand -eye- co- ordination, language, in- dependence. gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Some special toys are supplied by CPRI and toys in the home are utiltized as well. "Jacqueline has a very strong personality and has made great gains. Every three months we set different goals for her. The main one now is getting her to walk and accept the braces on her legs," says Mrs. Evans. Jacqueline is visited every two weeks for one and a half hours. Some of the infants on the program are visited more often and some less often depending on the severity of their problems. Mrs. Evans schedules her visits for the conveniency of all. Parent training and sup- port are very important aspects of the program, ex- plains Mrs. Evans. Joanne Pentland agrees. "I wouldn't want to have been without the program in the beginning. I wouldn't have known what to do," she says. Mrs. Evans, who took special infant developmental training at CPRI before the program started in 1979, teaches special games to the parents and often asks them to keep records of their in- fant's progress. Dealing with an infant's temperment and getting that infant to co-operate are often the most difficult tasks. Games are made fun to motivate the infant and rewards are often given. Mrs. Evans explains that a lot of what she does involves just basic common sense. She also has developmental books which she can loan to parents and. through the visiting program, all the CPRI and Thames Valley services can be utilized. Such services include a s eegh therapist, physiotherapist, oc- cupational therapist, psy- chologist and special toys and equipment such as walkers. braces, etc. "Most parents appreciate what I am doing and.look forward to my visits. That makes my job enjoyable," says Mrs. Evans. Where possible, Mrs. Evans tries to include the whole family in her visits. If there are brothers and sisters. they learn games and exercises they can do with their infant siblings as well. Sometimes Mrs. Evans must work with babysitters if parents are working or with foster parents if the in- fant has been taken out of its home by Family and Children's Services. Mrs. Evans' visits end when infants reach the age of two. Many of them go on to specialized nursery schools for physically, men- tally or emotionally han- dicapped children in places like Exeter, Wingham and Vanastra. Some go to regular nursery schools. Every infant starts to learn in the first days of life and many crucial phases of learning take place long before he or she goes to school. Therefore, preven- tive intervention is justifiable through such programs as home visiting, explains Mrs. Evans. Unfor- tunately, even in this Inter- national Year of the Disabl- ed. most people in Huron County are unaware that such a special progrma ex- ists. 11 you have questions about the program or if you would like to make a referral. contact Rosemarie Evans at the Public Health Unit in Clinton. Times-Advocat., D.c.mb.r 16, 1981 BALLOONS GALORE — Enjoying numerous balloons at Sunday's Exeter Firemen's Christ mos oarty are Tara Edwards and Christine Morgan T•A photo We buy only the best because We know that's what you want to give FIREMEN ASSIST WITH LUNCH — Visitors to Sunday's annual Exeter Firemen's Christmas party enjoyed o delicious lunch. Shown in action buttering bread are firemen Bill Smith, Ken Triebner, John Breen and,,Gabby Mol. TSA photo 1), Country FlowePs We could just pick up the phone and order our supply of poinsettias...but we don't. We go right to the grower and make the selection ourselves... because we want to make sure we get the very best. See our selection today. Each one is beautifully wrapped and guaranteed to please the per- son on your list. We deliver throughout the area and our FTD connections allow us to have your order delivered anyplace in the world. EXETER 235-2350 r DARL Darlings Homemade Sausage Meat Ib. Reg. $1.88 8 Save 90 Ib. Sweet Pickled Back Bacon lb s 1 .98 Sliced $2.38 Ib. NG Super Special The Placeto SBUY BEEF 235-0420 I Loins of Beef 85-125 Ib. Average ,$ 1 .79 Consists of Sirloin, porterhouse, T-bone, wing steaks, Ground Fully processed money back guarantee. beef. Our own Home made Smoked Hams Whole Average weight 15 lb. Shank End $1.28 Ib. • $1 .38 Butt End $1.48 For Your Freezer WholePigs 89 Ib. 150 lb. average Cut Wrapped Frozen Home made by the slab Bacon Limit 2 per family Boneless Blade and Short Rib Roasts Ib. Sirloin and Wing Steaks e s2.78 Sliced In the Deli Bacon Ib. 51.38 Reg. $1.98 Save 604 Ib. Homemade Hamburg Patties 9.98 Save 40c lb. Ib. $ II 18 10 Ib. bag Fresh Spare Ribs 1e $1.58 In the Deli Sliced Homemade - Corned Beef Ib. 52.58 Reg. $2.98 Save 404 Ib. ORDERS TAKEN NOW FOR FRESH HAYTERS TURKEYS Crown Pork Roasts Home Smoked Hams Whole inside Steak Roasts Boneless Leg 0 Pork Roasts Reg. or Stuffed