Overview
The Parent-Infant Nurturing Group (PING) at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is a classroom-based early intervention program supported by Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) as well as Ohio's Help Me Grow agency. PING provides developmental instruction and consultative therapy to children ages birth to 3 years who are found to be eligible due to a medically diagnosed disability or a documented delay in any area of development.
Children come to the program accompanied by a parent or guardian. We meet as a group on a regular basis with up to six enrolled children in a session. Each session lasts for 2 hours and includes developmentally appropriate play and social interaction activities. The family is considered an essential part of the team.
The PING team also includes an MRDD-licensed early intervention specialist and early intervention assistant as well as therapists for consultation; specifically, a speech-language pathologist, an cccupational therapist and a physical therapist participate. Consultative therapy is provided within the group setting.
The PING team members provide regular assessment using the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP Strands) to evaluate the child's strengths and areas of concern. With parent participation, child and family goals are developed into an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) as a contract for services. Family-centered strategies are developed for addressing these concerns within their daily natural environment.
The PING early intervention staff also collaborates with other departments within Cincinnati Children's Children's Division of Developmental and Behavior Pediatric, including Developmental Assessment Team for Infants and Toddlers(DATIT), and with various external agencies such as Help Me Grow Lighthouse Youth Services, Every Child Succeeds and the Children's Home.
There are four center-based early intervention sessions:
- Monday 10 am to Noon (1 time per week)
- Monday and Wednesday 1 pm to 3pm (twice weekly)
- Tuesday and Thursday 1 pm to 3 pm (twice weekly)
- Thursday 10 am to Noon (1 time per week)
For more information about the Parent-Infant Nurturing Group (PING) at Cincinnati Children's, contact 513-636-2742.
