"Learn the Signs. Act Early." (LTSAE)

Act Early Illinois promotes awareness of healthy child development by supporting families and professionals in fostering and monitoring all children's development and identifying concerns early by utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Learn the Signs, Act Early (LTSAE) materials.

LTSAE offers family-friendly materials and tools to engage families, caregivers, and early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers in learning more about child development and developmental monitoring. Developmental monitoring complements, but does not replace, routine developmental screening. Both monitoring and routine developmental screenings are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for early identification of developmental delays. The CDC's LTSAE materials and tools help track and celebrate each child's developmental milestones; help communicate with families about development; provide guidance on discussing developmental concerns; and complement and support developmental screening.

Every child learns and grows at their own pace, but there are general milestones every child should meet as they develop how to play, learn, speak, act, and move. Some of these skills can be subtle while others are more obvious. Each stage of a child's development is a new journey in how they interact with others and their environment. By utilizing the LTSAE materials, you will have the skills and knowledge to keep track of a child's development, can notice earlier on if the child is having trouble in one area, and may act early if you have a concern.

LTSAE materials and tools are available to download for free here. The materials can be adapted, translated, and customized to help health professionals, ECEC providers, and other service providers working with families to track the development of the children they serve.

In Illinois, the Child Find Project offers information and resources to inform the public about the availability of early intervention or preschool special education services for young children with or at risk of developmental disabilities. You can find Child Find free public awareness materials here.

The following Toolkits have been developed to help educators, families, and medical providers learn the signs of healthy development, track young children's developmental milestones, and act early if there is ever a developmental concern, including how to access Early Intervention or Early Childhood Special Education Services.

Whether you are a family member or a professional who works with young children, we hope you will find this information and the resources provided helpful to promote healthy development in all children.

CDC's Act Early Ambassadors comprise a network of professionals working with the support of federal partners to improve the early identification of developmental disabilities in their states.

The CDC's Act Early Ambassador for Illinois is:

• Cari Roestel, Nurse Care Manager and ECHO Autism Coordinator – Illinois Masonic Medical Center | Advocate Children's Hospital | Caroline.Roestel@aah.org