When the Toulsey family approached Las Cumbres’ Family Infant Toddler (FIT) program, their youngest daughter Thea was facing serious challenges. She had been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called central congenital hyperventilation syndrome – a condition that affects the autonomic nervous system and required Thea to depend on a ventilator. “This required care that my husband and I had never dealt with before,” says Thea’s mom Chelsea.
The Toulsey family began working with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy providers through FIT. “Once our providers started working with us, we saw a huge change in Thea. She was able to hit her milestones and continue to blow our minds - as well as her doctors’!”
For Chelsea and Thea, though, this was more than a client-provider relationship. “Las Cumbres is so much more than just services. The patient love and care that they provided to Thea and myself was nothing I ever expected. We looked forward to our visit, to see Thea grow and to see these people that we grew to have a personal relationship with,” remembers Chelsea.
This family’s story is unique – and it also shares similarities with many families’ journeys through Las Cumbres’ FIT program.
FIT serves families whose children have developmental delays, are at risk for developing delays, and/or were born with an established medical condition or syndrome. The program serves families with children 0 – three years of age, and parents can make their own referral or children can be referred by doctors, government agencies, or others. As with all Las Cumbres programs, FIT services are free for clients.
At the outset of the FIT process, families work with team members to complete a full developmental evaluation. This evaluation is conducted by a developmental specialist (someone with broad training) and a specialist (an expert on speech, occupational, or physical therapy).
At this stage, the FIT team works to evaluate medical risk and environmental risk – as well as assess for established conditions like Down’s Syndrome and other conditions.
Then, if the family is interested, they collaborate with the FIT team to establish an Individualized Family Service Plan (similar to an Individual Education Plan in schools) and begin services.
At every stage, relationships between families and FIT team members are key – and the family’s goals and concerns take center stage. Each family has a working relationship with at least two FIT staff, and potentially more depending on the family’s needs. (Some families work with a dietician and nutritionist, and/or OT,PT SLP for example.)
The FIT team currently includes 14 staff as well as a range of contractors – and is looking to expand in order to support more families. As with every program at Las Cumbres, the goal is strong, solid, quality growth – so that we can continue to ensure both top-notch professional services and meaningful, caring relationships with each of the families we serve.
As Chelsea Toulsey says, “I will always be grateful for Las Cumbres, not just for their patient care, but for the love they provide to the family."