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The CDD Then and Now
Early Childhood Evaluation Program
The Early Childhood Evaluation Program, or ECEP, is a cornerstone program of the Center for Development and Disability. Originating as the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Team, this statewide evaluation program, for children birth to three, pre-dates the establishment of the CDD as a University Affiliated Program in 1990. When the New Mexico state legislature established the “Developmental Disabilities Early Childhood Evaluation System” with the DD Act in 1993, the DD Team was renamed the Preschool Infant Evaluation Program, located at the CDD. This legislation helped define the joint responsibility of the Departments of Health and Education in ensuring that young children with disabilities, delays, or who are at-risk for developmental delay or disability, receive timely evaluation and recommendations for service, whether they live in urban or remote, rural areas of the state.
Today ECEP continues its mission of providing evaluation to children birth to three from throughout the state. Our interdisciplinary teams typically include a physician, motor and language therapists, and psychologists. We have bilingual expertise for mono-lingual Spanish families. Through recruitment of early childhood mental health specialists, ECEP has increased not only the Center’s capacity, but also that of the state, in providing mental health consultation and evaluation. We have been successful in utilizing our video technology to provide a range of supports to community providers and families, including mental health consultation and direct therapy. We support medical residents by providing clinical and community training. ECEP has built in opportunities for early interventionists, including developmental specialists and therapists, to maintain certification by addressing Family Infant Toddler competencies through training, evaluation, and consultation services. In addition, ECEP physicians work closely with community health care providers when their patients are ECEP clients.
ECEP remains a cornerstone of the CDD and of the New Mexico Family Infant Toddler Program, providing education, research and direct clinical services to communities throughout the state, serving young children, their families, and the early childhood professionals providing care and intervention, through early and timely evaluation, clinical expertise, and on-going training and technical assistance.
2010 is the 20th Anniversary of the Center for Development and Disability. Throughout the year, we will be hosting many events to celebrate our successes and share our story. Check this space frequently for updates.
