GCPA's Therapeutic Early Intervention Program
GCPA provides early intervention for infants and toddlers with developmental differences and special health care needs, aged birth to their third birthday. The program, housed in Gateway Education Center, located in Greensboro, and conducted in partnership with the Guilford County Schools, offers comprehensive therapies and specialized childcare. The program operates in four classrooms, 6 hours per day, five days per week, during the school year. Additionally, GCPA offers a therapeutic summer program with a modified schedule.
GCPA works with caregivers to create appropriate developmental goals individualized to each child’s needs. We have historically and anecdotally received reports of increased therapeutic success due to our embedded, multidisciplinary, and collaborative therapeutic service delivery model.
To be enrolled into our program, a child must have been identified with a developmental difference or a condition commonly associated with risks of a delay or disorder. The child must require cognitive or behavioral support, medical monitoring, caregiver training, and/or multiple therapies weekly.
Our children are typically referred by Greensboro Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA), primary care and specialist providers, area hospitals or social workers via Family Support Network, or therapeutic and medical professionals who know us by our reputation and experience.
Services We Offer
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
- Caregiver In-Home Training
- Caregiver Workshops
- Community Based Rehabilitative Services
- Feeding Therapy
- Facilitated Developmental Community Outings
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Specialized Classroom Instruction
- Specialized Equipment Services
- Speech Language Services
Total Communication
All staff members are trained in using Total Communication — sign language, visuals, verbal, augmentative and alternative communication — to support the development of language, literacy, and communication skills.
Classroom Ratio
Our classroom ratio remains at no more than 2:8, often remaining much lower.
Family Involvement
Throughout the school year, we have 4 faciliated developmental community outings and 4 family trainings, alternating monthly.
Numbers that speak
These numbers reflect our continued efforts to support children with special healthcare needs and their families in thriving beyond our program. These numbers are updated annually.
Benefits for Parents in our Program
FAQs
Physical Therapists provide early intervention that is critical in helping children maximize their motor abilities and learning how to access their homes, and communities (schools) as independently as possible or with the adaptations necessary. PTs teach families, caregivers, and teachers the best strategies to promote movement in children. Research shows that independent mobility positively impacts cognition. Physical therapy is individualized to each child and can look very different depending on a child’s needs. PTs help children, families, caregivers, and teachers with play skills, balance, mobility (with and without equipment such as gait trainers and wheelchairs), posture, developmental skills, and motor planning.
Occupational therapists promote the function and engagement of infants and toddlers and their families in everyday routines by addressing areas of daily living, including feeding, rest and sleep, caregiver-child play, dressing, bathing, hygiene, education, and social participation. OTs enhance a family’s capacity to care for their child and promote his or her development and participation in natural environments where the child and family live, work, and play.
Speech Language Pathology uses many techniques to promote communication and participation, including spoken language, sign language, and augmentative and alternative communication. SLP at GCPA embed therapeutic strategies into the daily learning, social, free play, mealtime and self-care routines involved in a childcare center. Additionally, SLPs address feeding concerns and promote pleasant, safe, and adequate intake at mealtimes for children.
Community Based Rehabilitative Services (CBRS) is a service that a child age birth to three and family can potentially receive when determined eligible for Early Intervention Services by the Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA). CBRS is developmental intervention designed to enhance cognitive, physical, behavioral, self-help, and social-emotional, skills. GCPA is a contracted CBRS provider for the Greensboro CDSA. Visit the North Carolina Early Intervention website at https://beearly.nc.gov/ for more information on the CDSA in your area and the NC Infant Toddler program.
Our staff provide daily individualized instruction to every child in our program. Our learning environments and lesson plans are designed to support children’s learning and progress toward individual therapeutic goals.
Schedule a Tour
Therapeutic Early Intervention
Our Partners
