We would like to gather information from our clients and families to learn how you are doing, and whether you have access to necessary services and support. We also want to make sure that you know you can contact us for information, resources and support. Please help us to better help you by responding to this brief survey.

Take the Survey in English

Tomar la Encuesta en Español

Only several weeks into this crisis, we have accessed much of the funds available in the Help Fund, way more than we expected, and we only anticipate it will become greater as the shutdown continues.

We are sharing food pantry information, and other community food resources with families, but are finding that most of these resources are beyond their capacity and not able to meet the greatly increased demand. As our service coordinators are checking in with families, this is the one need that our most vulnerable families ask for help with – food. Whenever possible, families are being provided with a local grocery store gift card, however, in cases where the family is not able to leave their home, staff from the Koch-Young Resource Center have facilitated home delivery of food.

All of us have been affected in numerous ways by the pandemic, albeit some even more than others, but we’re humbly asking for those among the Lanterman community that are able to, to contribute whatever amount they can to the Help Fund. So when families ask for help, we will have the funds to say YES.

April is National Autism Awareness Month

Early identification and intervention is a key to improving outcomes for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for a number of reasons. Early intervention is important because intervention is likely to be more effective when it is provided earlier rather than later in life. A child’s ability to learn is greatest during their first three years of life. Over time, it becomes harder to learn and make change. High quality early intervention can change a child’s developmental path and improve outcomes for both the child and their family.¹

The Center for Disease Control’s Learn the Signs - Act Early (also in Spanish) campaign aims to improve early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities so children and families can get the services and support they need. Parents can follow their child’s development using developmental tracking tools (available in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese) through the Learn the Signs Act Early program and obtain early guidance for information, intervention and support should concerns arise.

At Lanterman Regional Center, the Early Start (also in Spanish) program serves children from birth to 3 who are born with, or at risk for, developmental delay or disability. We know that the earlier an infant or toddler with special needs receives appropriate services, the more successful we can be in minimizing or preventing future disabilities. For this reason, our Early Intervention unit works with families to access services and supports that help identify and treat developmental concerns including signs of autism as early as possible in the life of the child.

_{^{1.      The Importance of Early Intervention for Infants and Toddler with Disabilities and their Families.  National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, July 2011.}} 

To everyone, please beware of misinformation which may be shared, and be sure to turn to reliable and official sources of information.

Following are links to local, state and federal resources you should visit for reliable information about Coronavirus (COVID-19):
 

• California Department of Developmental Services
   
• California Department of Public Health
   
• County of Los Angeles Public Health
   
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
   
• Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades
   
• Labor and Workforce Development Agency
   
• Employment Development Department
   
• State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD)
   
• Lanterman Web site pages: in English l in Spanish