VENTURA : Graduation a Milestone for Toddlers

About 40 toddlers with developmental delays received diplomas and mortarboards last weekend as their proud parents watched them graduate from a special learning program offered by the Easter Seal Society in Ventura.

Many of the children have been in the infant development program since shortly after birth, said program director Stephanie Levine. The commencement exercise marked a significant milestone in their development, she said.

“We give them the best start possible,” Levine said. “They have learned to reach their maximum potential.”

The organization’s staff offers an array of services, including physical and speech therapy and support groups for parents. Each infant is given an individual therapy program based on the child’s needs, Levine said.

Therapists also work with parents, showing them how to work with their children on a daily basis at home, she said.

Bea Swanks’ son, Thomas, started in the learning program when he was just 6 weeks old. Thomas was born with Down’s syndrome, a congenital condition that results in diminished mental capacity.

Thomas, now 3, received speech and physical therapy, including exercises designed to improve his balance and muscle coordination, Swanks said. The three years of twice-weekly therapy sessions have helped Thomas reach his full potential, she said.

“I’m frightened to think about what he would be like today without the program,” said the Ventura woman. “I know we owe Easter Seal a lot, because they’ve brought out the best of his abilities.”

Some of the children come to Easter Seal having been exposed to drugs while in the womb. Lisa Gallimore said she is a recovering drug addict who used marijuana and alcohol while pregnant with her son, Roy.

When Roy entered the infant program at age 2, he could barely talk and often just screamed for hours at a time, said Gallimore, an Oxnard resident.

But the 3-year-old, who graduated Saturday with the other toddlers, now is almost up to his age level in all developmental areas, she said. Gallimore is so grateful that she went to work as an Easter Seal staff member this year.

“I can’t take back what I did to my son,” said Gallimore. “But I can give him his best chance at reaching his full potential.”

Easter Seal will evaluate any child with any kind of developmental delay to determine if they can be helped by the program, Levine said. No referral or diagnosis from a doctor is necessary to receive an evaluation, she said.

Children participate in the program two times a week for 90 minutes until they reach 3 years of age. Then they “graduate” into other special-education preschools and, in some cases, into mainstream schools.