UW’s Wyoming Institute for Disabilities Works to Improve Early ID of Developmental Delays

The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) at the University of Wyoming has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism.

The partnership is part of the national Learn the Signs - Act Early (LTSAE) initiative. At the center of this work in Wyoming is Cari Glantz, WIND's education and early intervention program leader, who serves as Wyoming's Act Early ambassador. Act Early ambassadors are a select group of professionals who expand the reach of LTSAE by supporting early identification efforts across states, territories and tribal communities.

LTSAE offers free, research-based materials, developmental milestone checklists and tools designed to help families and professionals track development from birth through age 5. Materials include milestone checklists; a mobile milestone tracker app; and educational resources for families and professionals to promote early developmental awareness and timely intervention.

Wyoming's commitment to early identification

Under Glantz's leadership and collaboration as a member of the Governor's Early Intervention Council, Wyoming continues to strengthen its statewide developmental monitoring and referral systems.

Her work includes:

-- Fostering broad partnerships that integrate LTSAE resources across community and early childhood programs, such as Wyoming child development centers supporting early childhood educators in using milestone tracking tools and shared developmental language.

-- The Women, Infants and Children Program, which enhances coordination across early intervention and community-based systems.

-- Through Wyoming libraries, expanding public access to LTSAE books and materials for parents and caregivers.

-- The Wyoming Department of Health's Early Intervention Education Program, which partners to share information about how children can receive free developmental screenings at their local child-development centers.

"I am excited to partner with families and community providers across Wyoming to support this important initiative," Glantz says. "Not only are we helping to identify where early intervention supports may be needed, but we're also sharing how families can celebrate their children's growth through each developmental milestone."

These partnerships reflect Wyoming's commitment to ensuring that families have the tools they need to monitor their children's development and access services early if concerns arise.

"As a land-grant institution, University of Wyoming is deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across our state," says Patrick Hardigan, dean of the UW College of Health Sciences. "The work of the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities through the Learn the Signs - Act Early initiative, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demonstrates how research, outreach and community collaboration can make a meaningful difference for Wyoming families. We are proud of Cari Glantz's leadership and the strong partnerships being built across Wyoming to ensure families, educators and health professionals have the tools they need to support healthy child development."

Why early identification matters

Early identification of developmental delays is critical. Many children are not diagnosed until after entering school, even though early intervention services have the most impact when support can be provided as early as possible.

By increasing the visibility and adoption of LTSAE resources, Glantz and other Act Early ambassadors work to ensure families, educators and health care providers work together to help more children get screened, identified and connected to early supports.

WIND core components

LTSAE is part of larger initiatives for training and capacity-building programs. For more information about WIND's disabilities community education and training programs, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/wind/cet/index.html.

To learn how to order free materials, visit the Act Early Wyoming website at https://www.uwyo.edu/wind/wyactearly/index.html.

The CDC's Learn the Signs - Act Early website is at https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/.

To contact Glantz, email her at [email protected].