Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities/Delays

Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), founded in 1971, is a nationally recognized youth and family service organization in New Mexico. We can help you with early childhood education and child care, prenatal care, alternative education, job training and placement, mental and behavioral health services, homeless assistance, mentoring, family development and family counseling services.

Specific programs can be found at: https://www.ydinm.org/#our-programs

The First Born Program is founded on the belief that supported families create healthy communities, focuses on strong relationships and health in the early years. The program is relationship-centered and curriculum-based. Families who participate in home visits receive coaching, support, information about early childhood development, health, nutrition and safety and learn fun activities to help build brain development and learning. The First Born Program was named one of the nation’s 10 most innovative and exemplary prevention programs in 2002 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, along with several other agencies.

Through weekly home visits, families identify personal goals, recognize challenges and opportunities for growth and build a healthy, loving, playful relationship with their child.

The First Born Program supports child development in the areas of social emotional development, language, literacy and problem solving skills. Investing early means better outcomes for children, happier families and healthier communities.

First Born is for first-time parents. In many communities, the program is offered as First Born and More and is available to any family who is expecting or has a child under 3.

Please visit https://firstbornprogram.org/ for more locations.

Services: Home visitors partner with families to promote child development and confident parenting by supporting the relationship among the family, home visitor and the community.
Eligibility/Ages: No first-time parent requirements. Enroll prenatal until child is 3 years old. Serves Curry, De Baca, and Roosevelt Counties.

The New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired was founded in 1903 as a land grant school governed by a Board of Regents. Three years later, the school opened its doors in Alamogordo, New Mexico with 21 students, two teachers and a superintendent. It is a specialized school which provides residential, academic, support, and outreach services to the students who are blind and visually impaired in New Mexico. Today, the residential campus is still located on the original site in Alamogordo with a second campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico that houses an Early Childhood Program and as well as the school’s statewide services.

Los Pasitos provides Early Intervention services to children ages birth to three years, that are at risk for, or that have a developmental delay or disability, get the support they need to reach their full potential. Los Pasitos partners with families to nurture and advocate for their child’s development through coaching and modeling in their natural environment so that parents and caregivers can shine while helping their child reach their full potential. All early intervention services are free to families

Serve infants and toddlers under the age of 3, and pregnant women. EHS programs provide intensive comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families, and to pregnant women and their families.

Region 9 Developmental Services Program provides comprehensive developmental/early intervention activities that benefit the families and children from birth through age three who have or may be at risk for developmental delays. Some options of this program include family counseling and education; health services; Child Find and screening services; assessment and evaluation services; special instruction provided by developmental specialists; nutritional consultation; occupational, physical, speech, and language therapy; transportation; family service coordination; and respite care services. An Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed for each child/family based upon determined needs.

Roundtree Children’s Developmental Services provides early intervention to all San Juan County families with children birth to three who exhibit a delay, may be at risk for a delay, or who are involved with the New Mexico Children’s Youth and Families Department. Roundtree’s services include family service coordination, developmental instruction, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, nutritional services, and outreach services in conjunction with the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired as well as the New Mexico School for the Deaf. Services are provided at no cost to families.

The New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI) provides statewide direct services to families of young children who have a diagnosed visual impairment or who are considered to be at risk for receiving a VI diagnosis. Services are a partnership with NMSBVI, New Mexico’s Family, Infant, Toddler Program (FIT), and the Navajo Nation; all children are served by IFSP team decision. Services are delivered in the family home or in another community environment that supports the child and his/her family.

(*Note: Contact Julie Maner who is the Program Coordinator for more information at 505-859-0646 (email: JulieManer@nmsbvi.K12.nm.us) or call 1-800-437-3505 to get a referral for your child).

At the local, regional, and state levels, the UNM Early Childhood Services Center collaborates to promote a complete and aligned quality early care, education, and family support system that is equitably available to all children and their families in New Mexico.

This website serves as a great tool for families to search and identify agency program and resources that provide Home-Visiting, Home-Based Child Care, Early Intervention Programs, Head Start and Early Head Start, NM PreK, and Special Education Preschool.

Parents as Teachers connects parents and caregivers with trained professionals who conduct frequent personal home visits during a child's early years of life, from prenatal to kindergarten, to develop strong communities, flourishing families, and children who are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The program offers trained parent educators, personalized caregiver information and support, healthy and developmental screenings, group connections to meet other families, and assistance locating and accessing community resources for families needs.

(*Note: Parents as Teachers is a nationwide agency. To access their main website, see their contact info and address, please go to: https://parentsasteachers.org/. The information provided here is for the UNM CDD Parents as Teachers Home Visiting Program, which assists with this resource here in Albuquerque and across the state of New Mexico).

New Mexico Legislature created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department and was launched on July 1, 2020 with the purpose of creating a childhood system that is more unified, equitable, and successful. This entails organizing a range of programs from conception to age five, as well as ensuring that families in all parts of the state have access to the resources they require such as: Child Care Services, Early Childhood Special Education, Early Head Start, Families FIRST Program, Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program, Family Nutrition Bureau, Home Visiting, and NM PreK.

Pediatric Specialty Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Developmental Disabilities, and Medical Complexity. Provides a nurturing and supportive environment to care for children (birth to 21 years old) with Special Needs, Developmental Disabilities and/or Complex Care in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico.

Provides early childhood and adult services.

Adult Services:
Living Supports - Family Living
Community Integrated Employment
Customized Community Supports
Living Supports - Supported Living
Respite Services

Child Services:
Special Instruction & Developmentally Appropriate Activities
Service Coordination
Speech & Language Therapy
Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Vision Services
Hearing Services
Nutrition Services
Social Work Services
Psychological Services
Family Education & Counseling
Medical-Related to Diagnosis & Evaluation
Nursing Services
Health Services
Transportation Services
Respite
Center-Based Playgroup - Ages 2-3 years of age

The Children's Workshop provides FIT services, early childhood education, and after school programs.

Presbyterian Ear Institute (PEI) helps deaf and hard-of-hearing adults and children develop and strengthen auditory and oral communication skills. Using the most advanced technology available, PEI helps children and adults realize their unlimited potential and actively participate in the hearing and speaking world. The world becomes a much bigger place when deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals can participate more fully in all aspects of life.

FOCUS provides supports and services that improve family well-being by strengthening family capacity to support resilience and protective behaviors for their children, providing culturally sensitive service strategies, collaborating with the community on behalf of the families, and maximizing access to quality services. The service delivery team includes pediatricians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, service coordinators, developmental specialists, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists. Services are available in both English and Spanish.

Native American Professional Parent Resources, (NAPPR) Inc. is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was founded in 1981 as a joint project between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the New Mexico Deparment of Health to provide early intervention services to Native American families with young children experiencing developmental delays. Since that time, NAPPR has established itself as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and grown from serving approximately 30 Native American children/families in 6 Pueblo communities to serving 400+ Native and Non-Native American families across a four county area. In addition to direct services to families with young children in these four counties, NAPPR also serves a much wider geographic range through the Albuquerque Area Dental Support Center.

NAPPR now includes 5 distinct programs that aim to strengthen the communities we serve by increasing and supporting healthy families through a range of services. The original program-Early Intervention, continues to serve families (both Native and Non-Native American) who have infants/toddlers who are experiencing developmental delays or who have risk factors for developmental delays. NAPPR also provides Universal home visiting using a culturally based model for Native American families with children prenatal through age five, Early Head Start center and home based services for Native and Non-Native American families with children prenatal through age three, as well as support services for Indian Health Service funded Dental Clinics and Little Scholar’s Academy center services Native and Non-Native American families with children 6 weeks through age five.

Services: Provides parenting educational services, child developmental guidance, and local community resource information to families with children prenatal to age 3 in the home, or at alternative locations at the family’s request.
Eligibility/Ages: No first-time parent requirements, enroll prenatal until child is 3. Serves Albuquerque and Bernalillo.

At Inspirations, our early intervention services are provided to children – from birth to 3 years old - with or at risk for having developmental
delays or disabilities. We provide transdisciplinary services in the home or community to address children's individual needs. Our services are
funded partially through the New Mexico Department of Health Family Infant Toddler Program. We provide our services at no cost to families.
Appointments are always available to meet family needs!

MECA Therapies, LLC has offices in Las Cruces, Hobbs, Clovis, and Roswell, and provides FIT and outpatient rehabilitation services.

At Bilingual Multicultural Services, Inc. (BMSI) we have the Best Team Support where therapists diagnose and treat individuals of all ages who are impacted by mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling conditions. Various programs for all ages, providing occupational, physical, speech and language, psychological, social work, professional development and consulting, and birth-3 (FIT) services.

New Vistas provides disability support and advocacy, independent living skills training, peer support, early intervention, and Information & Referral Services in the nine northern New Mexico counties (Colfax, San Miguel, Harding, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Taos, Rio Arriba, Union, and Mora).

Advocates and researches strategies to support early intervention and special educational needs of children with exceptionalities. Website shows the latest information about special education research and development throughout the United States. Effects public policy and makes federal budgetary recommendations.

Provides a parent implemented, intensive, evidence-based early intervention program for young children with autism. PLAY Project services can be located here.

The PLAY Project is based on the DIR® (Developmental, Individualized, Relationship-based) theory of Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Weider PhD, and emphasizes the importance of helping parents become their child’s best play partner.

Provides education for families in identifying development milestones in children from birth to 5 years old. Provides resources and supports (WIC, Early Childhood Intervention, Home-visiting, and Education Materials) for families who may have concerns and how to reach out to a local healthcare provider.