LAKE ELSINORE: Program aims to catch problems early

More than 1,600 children have been screened since program began

By RANI GUPTA - Staff Writer | Friday, June 27, 2008 7:56 PM PDT ∞

LAKE ELSINORE ---- Nicole Licon's 4-year-old son, Mateo, used to bite her hard enough to leave marks and scream so loud her ears rang afterward like she was at a rock concert.

Now Mateo can sit and play quietly, and Licon can take him to a store without having to flee with a screaming child. It's taken 22 hourlong sessions with two clinical therapists to turn Mateo from a wild child into a "wonder child," Licon said.

"I wish every parent could have it," she said.

Licon received help through the Lake Elsinore Unified School District's Special Needs Assistance Project, a 3-year-old program that aims to identify young children with developmental problems and get them assistance early, before they enter the school system and their problems become harder to correct.

The program is one of 10 throughout the state and is paid for through the First 5 program, which distributes tobacco tax money to aid families with children ages 5 and under. First 5 Riverside pays half the program's annual $500,000 cost, while First 5 California foots the rest of the bill.

Local officials are happy with the results but wonder how long the program will survive. It is set to expire in mid-2009 unless it is reauthorized.

The program, which is open to those living within Lake Elsinore Unified's boundaries, gets families in the door through word of mouth and through referrals from sources such as Child Protective Services, pediatricians and private preschools.

Staff members then test children in a variety of areas, including motor skills, speech and language development and behavior.

Almost half of the 1,614 children who have received free screenings since 2005 test normal. But more than half require further services, either because they have risk factors such as a mother suffering from depression or because their tests showed developmental issues. A panel of experts evaluate those children and place them into programs to address their needs.

Children who are lagging in language development, for instance, may enter a program where a speech and language pathologist demonstrates to parents how to talk to their children so that they can interact with them at home in a way that improves their language skills.

Other children may suffer from behavioral problems. Program coordinator Liz Watters said staff members often see children who have been kicked out of private preschools, sometimes as many as 10.

Licon's son hadn't been booted from preschool, but his behavioral problems led program officials to place him in parent-child interaction therapy, in which parents work with trained therapists ---- often hidden from view ---- to curb misbehavior.

On Friday morning, clinical therapist Lila Samady watched through a one-way mirror as Licon played with her son and daughter. Samady gave Licon instructions through an earpiece the mother wore.

The therapists often use a large teddy bear to demonstrate proper behaviors, and on Friday, Licon gave a timeout to "Mr. Bear." At Samady's instruction, Licon praised the stuffed animal for sitting quietly in the chair, comments meant to teach her children how they should act during a timeout.

Samady also told Licon to compliment her son for playing quietly while she was dealing with the bear. Samady said positive praise is important for parents to learn because kids often get more attention for negative behavior than positive acts.

"If you focus on the positive behavior, you're going to see a lot more positive behavior," Samady said.

School psychologist Dawn Fouts-Konkol said some children arrive throwing extreme tantrums ---- for instance, holding their breath until they pass out or regurgitating their food during outbursts. However, she said many dramatically improve during their months in therapy.

Children are tested again after they complete their programs and most retest at normal levels. Another 114 children since 2005 have been deemed to have more intensive needs and were referred elsewhere for special education services.

First 5 Riverside's executive director, Harry Freedman, said the program helps identify problems and intervene in the early years.

Freedman said that, without intervention, children might begin kindergarten with poorly developed language skills or behavior problems. That could cause them to struggle in school or get in trouble in later years, when those problems are more difficult and costly to treat.

"The kids we're serving today are going to benefit three or four years from now," Freedman said.

Contact staff writer Rani Gupta at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or rgupta@californian.com.

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