Staff Report
Gainesville Daily Register
Gainesville —
Members of Cooke County 4-H are scheduled to participate in the fourth
annual “Kids Entertaining Kids” fundraiser and silent auction set for
2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at Sherman Municipal Ballroom, 405 N.
Rusk St. in Sherman.
Proceeds will benefit the Texoma branch of the Early Childhood
Intervention (ECI) organization.
A press release explained that ECI provides services each year to
almost 650 infants and children — from newborns to infants up to age
36 months — who have a development delay and are residents in Cooke,
Fannin, Grayson, Delta, Lamar or Hopkins counties. Texoma Community
Center (formerly Mental Health Mental Retardation Services of Texoma)
is the host agency for the program, and the ECI division of the
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) provides
funding.
The July event will give children the opportunity to see other youth
giving of their talents to improve the lives of other kids who have
developmental delays. The release added that area businesses will have
the opportunity to become sponsors and donors.
The ECI program is designed to encourage and assist parents with an
infant or a child who appears to be slow in development or has medical
conditions that usually result in developmental delay. It provides
developmental therapy and support services for infants, children and
their families. Services include screening, assessment and referral;
providing developmental services in home and community-based settings;
related services such as: occupational, speech and/or physical
therapy; family support and training; sa pecial equipment, toy, book
and video lending library; service coordination for the child and
family; referral and transition services; and other services specific
to child and family needs.
The developmental therapy service noted above is a homebound and/or
community-based training program. It is designed to help children who
have poor learning skills, poor cognitive skills, delays in gross
and/or fine motor abilities, delays in speech and language, hearing or
sight impairment, poor social and emotional development and certain
medical conditions that are likely to result in developmental delay.
Related services include, but are not limited to: physical therapy,
speech therapy, developmental services, nutritional services,
behavioral intervention, guidance from the staff nurse, and
development and use of adaptive equipment and clothing.
The release explained that parents are provided with education and
guidance that helps them develop and maintain a positive attitude and
learn coping skills. Basic parenting skills are taught as well as
information on the special needs of their child.
For more information about the fundraiser or ECI program, call (903) 957-4865.
