Toddlers with developmental delays are missing out on help they need. It can hurt them long term

Alexander, 3, who is being treated for developmental delays, holds a stuffed animal and watches Paw Patrol in the living room of his West Chicago, Ill., home Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Alexander qualified for five Early Intervention therapies in summer 2021, physical, occupational, developmental, behavioral and speech when he was about a year old. But the family waited more than a year to get any of these services in-person.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened chronic staffing shortages, in part because many providers didn't want to risk infection by entering families' homes, even when restrictions on in-person visits were lifted, according to Maureen Greer, the executive director of the Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association, which supports the Early Intervention system nationwide.

Waiting means skipping precious months of development, while acting early saves money on special education and other services later in life. But there is no way to attract more providers without better wages, Ziemba explained. Early Intervention providers in Illinois are government contractors, meaning they get no health benefits or paid time off, and they can effectively double their salaries by working in other settings such as hospitals, schools or nursing homes.

"We remain committed to giving our service providers the support and resources they deserve for caring for our state’s children,” said Alex Gough, a spokesperson for the governor's office. Aria qualified for speech, developmental and occupational therapy, and was diagnosed with autism when Faulkner was finally able to secure an appointment with a developmental pediatrician, two and a half hours away in St. Louis. Although Aria started speech therapy promptly, she has been on the waitlist for developmental therapy for more than a year.“You need to get answers for your child," she said. “But here, now you have to sit and wait.

While they waited, Garcia signed Alexander up for virtual therapy, which didn't start for more than six months. But virtual appointments weren’t effective, especially for physical therapy. "I can't imagine somebody else going through what I went through without speaking English," she said.

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