1st Annual Early Intervention Benefit Ride

Hello friends!! I know I've been MIA since I started working full time in February, but I just wanted to write today to let you know about an event that my husband and I are planning in June 2015. We are raising money for Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Early Intervention Program. Check out their website by clicking on the link above.



The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind was founded in 1858 by a young physician who wanted to provide education for his deaf brother. Now, they have grown to serve more than 22,500 individuals ranging from infants to elderly with hearing and vision problems. Their Regional Center in Mobile, Alabama serves Mobile, Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe, and Washington counties.

This is an amazing program that offers: (taken from the AIDB brochure)

• Evaluation and Assessment
• Individualized Family Service Plan
• Family Training
• Natural Environment
• Transition Services
• Service Coordination

The Evaluation and Assessment is provided by highly qualified staff. These are done in order to discover the specific needs of the child. This is where you become qualified to participate in the program. A hearing or vision impairment or a 25% or more delay in one or more developmental areas qualifies your child for the Early Intervention services in the state of Alabama. 

Once your child has qualified for the program, a plan will be developed to meet the needs of your child. The team is known as the IFSP team and consists of the family, healthcare providers, therapists, your child's Service Coordinator, and anyone else necessary. This meeting is held within 45 days of the initial referral. 

The best part about the Early Intervention program is that it is held in the child's natural environment. This means that you don't have to drag your child to an office in order to get him/her the services they need. The natural environment is the place that the child spends most of his/her time- whether that be in the home, at a daycare center, or other setting. This means that your child will be much more responsive to the services. 

Once your child has completed the Early Intervention Program, you will be provided with the options that are available for your child's continued development/education. Your Service Coordinator will make any necessary referrals and will be with you during the transition phase. 

As you see, this is a truly amazing program- and we need your help!! The state has drastically CUT their funding and they have been unable to help as many families. If you have a special needs child, then you know how much this help is needed! In fact, the little guy in the picture at the top of the post is my amazing bonus son- when he was much younger, he benefited from this wonderful program. 

Please consider visiting our GoFundMe page at http://www.gofundme.com/angelbabybenefits OR you can send a donation directly to us through PayPal at angelbabybenefits@outlook.com

All donations are tax deductible. If you wish, we will be more than happy to provide you with a tax donation form- just contact us and let us know!! Thanks in advance for all your help!! 

By the way, for those of you who are local (or who will be passing through this summer), please consider participating in our 1st Annual Early Intervention Benefit Ride. This is a 25 mile ride that will begin and end at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Daphne, Alabama. We will have pulled pork dinners and live entertainment available.

If you plan to ride in the motorcycle ride, pre-register and it will only cost you $25 per bike & only $15 for an additional rider. However, if you wait and register the day of the ride, it will cost $30 per bike and $20 for an additional rider. You can pre-register by sending payment via PayPal to angelbabybenefits@outlook.com. We look forward to seeing you there!!