Easterseals - Joliet Region

A free home-visiting program for eligible expecting families and those with children from birth to age 3 in Kankakee, Iroquois, Ford, Will, Grundy, and Kendall counties. Provides developmental screenings, education, play groups, parent support, and more! To learn more, visit: http://www.parentasexpert.com/

Serves children from birth to age 3. An educational component of Early Intervention, this therapy is provided by a child development specialist and covers all areas of development. Cognitive, language, gross motor, fine motor, social, and self-help activities are all included in both group and individual sessions. This program offers strong support for continued focus on the goals of therapies like speech, occupational and physical therapy.

Serves children from birth to age three and their families. Easterseals' program strives to enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities through programs designed to assist the child in reaching each new stage of development. Easterseals of MidEastern Illinois provides the following high-quality standards: Family-centered philosophy, Individual and group experiences, and Credentialed staff with extensive training and child development expertise. As a family links with the Early Intervention Case Manager and develops an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), Easterseals is ready to provide the following services to meet the needs of both the child and family: * Child Development, * Occupational Therapy, * Speech & Language Therapy, * Physical Therapy, * Case Management, * Parent Resource/Toy Lending Library, and * Home (if medical need) or center-based service sites.

Provides equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, bath aides, communication devices, etc. free of charge for as long as needed. Equipment is available to anyone in need regardless of income upon presentation of a doctor's prescription.

A play therapy program for children from birth through teens with special needs. Monthly play sessions, home loan of toys and computer resource services are all part of the Lekotek program. This program works with the entire family offering encouragement and support. Lekotek is also available for contract services for the classroom.

Easterseals maintains a Parent Support Group for parents raising children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or any other social interaction or communication disorder. The Parent Support Group has monthly educational meetings on the second Wednesday of every month from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM via ZOOM. To join this group, or for more information, please email Alicia Hann at: ahann@joliet.easterseals.com or call 815-932-0623.

Serves children from birth through teens. Program operated by a registered occupational therapist and certified occupational therapy assistant. Therapists work with fine motor, self-help, visual perceptional, visual motor skills and sensory integration difficulties.

Serves children from birth through teens. Physical therapy services are provided to disabled children by a registered physical therapist. Therapists work with motor skills, i.e. walking, crawling, sitting, etc.

Services children from birth through teens. Program includes communication evaluations and therapy for children who have feeding/swallowing impairments, language or speech delays, and social or behavioral difficulties.

Serves parents and caregivers of developmentally disabled children ages 4 and up. Designed for short-term relief and support, the respite worker watches the disabled child and his/her siblings for 3 hours one Saturday per month providing structured activities and snacks while parents or caregivers enjoy a free afternoon.

Serves disabled children age 6 through adult. A special camp in Bloomington, Illinois gives disabled children and adults an opportunity to enjoy camp activities for one week each year. Camp sessions are overnight for five days. This also provides a much-needed respite for their families.

Anyone can support the work of Easterseals in a number of ways: (1) Pledge financial support during Telethon, the first Sunday in March of every year; (2) Volunteers are always needed for assistance at the center and for fundraising; (3) Memorials and Bequests are an especially thoughtful and appreciated form of support; and (4) clubs or businesses can sponsor a child to receive therapy or attend camp.