The Child Development Project, under the Ministries of Health and Social Services and of Education, is a programme which is offered to all families in Bermuda with preschool children. Our aim is to prevent or minimise developmental problems in our children and to support parents in their parenting role.

We provide an assessment service for preschool children which helps to identify those with special needs and we offer services to the families to address those needs. We also provide general information about child development, numerous resources, and support to all families involved in the service through developmental booklets, newsletters, the toy library and parent discussion groups.

The services of the Child Development Project are generally provided to children between the ages of two and four. We do, however, take referrals before the age of two and may continue our services until a child is five, depending on need.

One service offered by the Child Development Project is The Portage Programme which is a home-based programme offered to special needs children and their families. These children exhibit an overall delay in their development at our assessment process offered to them at two years of age. This service can also be offered to children under two years of age upon referral by families, doctors or other agencies.

Visits are made to the child's home once weekly for one hour. The home visitor, along with the parent(s), devise an individualised programme for the child. Activities are presented each week for the family to carry out and a chart is kept of the child's progress in various developmental areas such as language, social, and motor development. If other therapeutic services are required, such as a physiotherapy, hearing assessment, etc., then the home visitor will refer to the relevant professional.

Often there is no clear dividing line between "normal'' children and those with special needs. Children with special needs are "normal'' in many ways.

They are more like other children than different from them. Like other children with special needs, however, they have some physical, emotional or mental problems which will affect the course of their lives.

How much their disabilities affect them will vary. Except for the few severely disabled children, the disability is not as important as the way children feel about themselves and the way others respond to them. The way a parent helps a child live with his or her disability is very important.

Long before a baby is born, parents-to-be invest their dreams and hopes in the coming child. If you suspect something is wrong with your infant or preschooler, it may be hard to see the truth. The best thing you can do, however, is to get a diagnosis as soon as possible. Call us at the Child Development Project. Our staff will be eager to assist you.

Early detection of a problem can help you understand your child's needs and get special help. If your child has a hearing loss, for example, then perhaps a hearing aid can be fitted. This may prevent language or behaviour problems that sometimes result when a child cannot hear.

When parents are told that their child has a disability, it is bound to be a shock. The parents may feel different and set apart from other people. Their child seems different too. It is hard to adjust. Parents may begin to wonder: Why did this happen to me? Is it something I did or didn't do? How is this going to turn out? Most parents of children with special needs feel this way. That is why they need support. They need to resolve their own feelings before they can help their child deal with the handicap.

If you have a child with either a visible or suspected disability: try to get a complete diagnosis as soon as possible; be realistic about your child's disability, but provide all the opportunities for growth that every child needs; treat your child as a regular member of the family; seek out support groups and professional organisations, such as the Child Development Project which can help the children and their parents.

What can you hope for a child with a disability? Some children will need supervision or physical care all of their lives. But a great many will become self-supporting, marry and have children of their own. Sherrie Walker Johnsen Child Development Specialist -- Child Development Project.