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Good afternoon, I am writing in favor of HB103 and extending early intervention services to age 5. As a parent of 2 children who have received EI services, and a 4th year teacher with Montgomery County, I can speak firsthand to the benefits of extending this vital program. The current age out system works under the impression that children will be able to continue vital services through preschools and use of county school intervention teachers. This model doe snot account for the vast caseloads of intervention teachers and the lack of equitable services provided after graduating EI. My son received speech services for a later diagnosed apraxia of speech from 18 mon. - 3 years through EI. At age 3 when he graduated, we were told by our school system that his next step would be to come to our local campus, where he would be placed with an aide and receive virtual speech therapy, as there was only one speech teacher for the county. This is an inequitable transition from the 1-1 in home speech therapy he was receiving through EI. After approximately 1 year of searching, we found a new speech therapist who understood my son's needs and is able to support him. Extending EI would have allowed my son to continue working directly with a known and trusted teacher until he transitioned into the school system, where there was a better chance of receiving services in person. As a teacher, I know that my son's case is not an isolated one. For the last two years I have worked as a kindergarten teacher in MCPS, where each year I work with families who had services, graduated services, or lost quality teachers and now must re-enroll their child into services through the school system. This takes additional time as documentation and testing is completed, different services and types of care are tracked and quantified, and new services begin. This leads to a greater gap for the child to overcome. As a teacher I also see the large caseloads our intervention teachers work with, and extending EI would allow them to pour more of their time into the students they serve on campus, as families of young children continue to get the flexible support my family relied on. This extension reduces strain on not only our families but our school systems, and brings extreme benefits to the child. Continuity of services and providers creates stronger bonds and higher growth, and by extending EI to age 5 these two systems will be able to greater partner together to set incoming kindergarteners for success with the support they need. EI and school systems will be able to trade notes directly, without progress and notes getting lost from therapist to therapist or company to school as the child grows. I urge you to vote yes on HB 103, and extend early intervention services for the benefit of our children, and our schools. Thank you, Kyle Evans Father of 3 Kindergarten Teacher MCPS

Comments Document

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Good afternoon. My name is Devin Hebble, and I’m a licensed Occupational Therapist providing Early Intervention services in Virginia. I’m here to support HB 103, which would allow eligible children to continue Early Intervention services through four years of age. This is a bipartisan, evidence-based, cost-effective proposal that strengthens school readiness and supports working families. Currently, many children lose services at age three despite ongoing functional need—creating a gap during a critical developmental window. From an occupational therapy perspective, ages three to four are essential for foundational skills that impact participation at home and in preschool: self-care, communication, sensory regulation,attention, motor planning, and mobility. Extending Early Intervention improves equitable access, supports continuity of care, and provides a strong return on investment by preventing more intensive—and more expensive—needs later. This is a targeted, fiscally responsible approach and an efficient use of taxpayer resources. HB 103 is a practical investment in Virginia’s children, families, and communities. I respectfully urge your support. Thank you.

These should be basic right standards. These cause less trauma, less injuries, deaths, and for a better society