Federal Way Birth to Three Development Center

"Most of the infants and toddlers served by Birth to Three Developmental Center qualify for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These children have at least a 25% delay in one or more developmental areas:

Cognitive—ability to learn and how the child learns

Physical—ability to move, see and hear

Communication—ability to understand language and express needs

Social or Emotional—ability to relate with others

Adaptive Skills—ability to dress, eat and take care of self.    

Birth to Three Developmental Center offers a wide range of program services to support children and families.

Developmental Screening – Developmental Screening is a quick look at how a child is learning and growing. People trained to determine if a child is developing like other children do screenings. If a child's development is a concern, a family resources coordinator can share information on how to get a complete evaluation for the child.

Evaluation & Assessment – Evaluation is a way to see if a child is eligible for early intervention services. The evaluation will occur only with written permission and at no cost to the parent or guardian. The evaluation is done with the parent, the child and early intervention professionals. Following the evaluation, the parent and other members of the team will talk about what the child is doing and identify any concerns. If there are areas of delay, the child may be eligible for early intervention services. Evaluation looks at these areas of development:

Cognitive—ability to learn and how the child learns

Physical—ability to move, see and hear

Communication—ability to understand language and express needs

Social or Emotional—ability to relate with others

Adaptive Skills—ability to dress, eat and take care of self

Assessment is an ongoing collection of information that looks at the child's strengths and needs. Assessments are used to make sure that the child is getting the kind of help needed while the child is receiving services.

Occupational and Physical Therapy – Occupational and Physical Therapy includes increasing a child's skills in the areas of eye-hand coordination, balance, gross motor movements and/or self-care. Since children spend most of their time away from the center, we strive to incorporate families in all aspects of their child's program so learning can occur at home and in community settings.

Speech-Language Therapy – Speech-Language Therapy includes increasing how much a child communicates, improving how a child expresses his or her wants and needs though speech, sign language, gestures or augmentative systems and/or improving what a child understands. Therapists will make suggestions about ways to incorporate ideas for communication at home and in the community."

Mailing Address: PO Box 24269, Federal Way, 98093-1269.