Reviewed by: Patience Itson
A Bell Center therapist told us about important milestones for children—see what we learned
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Noelle Nicholson has been a Speech Pathologist for The Bell Center in Homewood for nine years. What keeps her going? The families.
We sat down with Noelle to talk about The Bell Center’s programs and how they help children who are experiencing delays in reaching important developmental milestones. Keep reading to see what we learned.
Early intervention by the numbers
What is the importance of early intervention therapy? Noelle shared these important stats with us.
- 1 in 6 children in the US face a developmental disability, but only 50% are identified before starting school
- 1 in 3 infants + toddlers who receive early intervention therapy won’t require special education services in preschool or beyond
When we spoke to Dr. Kassel, a pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama, she told us she recommends The Bell Center to families because of their unique approach to early intervention therapy.
“We recommend kids to The Bell Center because of the interdisciplinary model and because of the community they provide families.
The integrated therapy model tries to balance kids’ needs and treats the child comprehensively.”
Dr. Rachel Kassel, Pediatric GI Physician, Children’s of Alabama
Q & A with The Bell Center’s Noelle Nicholson
Noelle gave us some expert advice on developmental milestones, what they mean and how The Bell Center implements their therapy services to maximize the potential of children.
What are developmental milestones + why are they important?
“Developmental milestones are skills that typically develop in children at specified ages in infancy and early childhood, and they serve as building blocks for the child’s progression and skill acquisition. For instance, an infant must have head control before he can sit, he should then sit before he crawls.
We use these milestones as a guide to determine if a child is on track developmentally.”
What are examples of important milestones that parents should know?
“There are five areas of development in which we assess milestones: physical growth, cognitive development, emotional and social development, language development and sensory and motor development.
What’s important to know is that milestones are the minimum of what a child should be doing. On average, a two-year-old says 200-300 words, but the benchmark is 50. We all grow at different rates, so we need that room for individual development.
As a Speech Language Pathologist, I look at all forms of communication. Does [the child] understand the language? Are they able to follow directions? Do they know their name? So many other things are important besides the number of words they’re saying.”
How does The Bell Center help children who are delayed in reaching milestones?
“We are the only center-based, transdisciplinary early intervention program in Alabama. Uniquely, every area of development is addressed at each therapy session as each child is served by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist and an early childhood special education teacher. We have very specific goals tailored to each child’s needs.
Something different about The Bell Center—you don’t have to have a specific diagnosis to come here, it could just be a parent or pediatrician concerned about the child not meeting milestones.”
What advice would you give parents with concerns about their child’s development?
“Trust your gut. If your instinct is telling you to seek help, then seek help.”
After 9 years, why still do it?
“I always knew I wanted to be in a profession where I could help others. Once I started working with infants and toddlers at The Bell Center, I knew this was it! Seeing children progress and families grateful for the intensive therapy we provide has had a huge impact on me.”
Noelle Nicholson, Speech Language Pathologist, The Bell Center
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