Community Leadership Project Was a Perfect Fit

For my community Leadership Project, I volunteered with the Ohio chapter of the "Learn the Signs. Act
Early." Initiative. The “Learn the Signs. Act Early." is a nationwide initiative run by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) that aims to improve the early identification of children with autism and
other developmental disabilities in order to ensure that children and families can get the services and
support they need. The initiative leads to early identification by helping families, educators, and
healthcare professionals track established developmental milestones that children should reach at
various ages. Milestones are tracked using checklists, a mobile app, and other free materials that can be
downloaded from the CDC's website. If children are not reaching the milestones, the website also offers
information about the next steps to take. The volunteer work I did for "Learn the Signs. Act Early." was a
perfect fit for me in numerous ways.

First of all, I am very passionate about early intervention. Early intervention was not available when I was
young, and I often wonder if it would have made a difference in my life. Children with developmental
disabilities and their families need all the help they can get, and that is why early diagnosis and
treatment is so vital. As I continue my advocacy work, I would like to advocate for increased early
intervention services. When I am advocating for increased early intervention services, I will definitely
strive to make more individuals aware of the "Learn the Signs. Act Early." initiative.

Another reason this volunteer position fitted me perfectly was because it enabled me to use skills from
my public relations background. I was responsible for updating the Ohio Act Early Facebook page. Along
with sharing updates on Facebook, I emailed several preschools and day care centers in the Cincinnati
area to inform the staff about this remarkable initiative. One of my emails led to Dr. Stephanie Weber
sharing information about the initiative at a childcare center. Lastly, I helped another LEND trainee hand
out materials from the "Learn the Signs. Act Early." initiative at the Learning through Play Event at the
Cincinnati Museum Center and at the Empowering Families Symposium at Xavier University. The
materials we handed out included information about the mobile app, books to read to children that help
track their development, and more.

I like that materials offered by the “Learn the Signs. Act Early." Initiative are easy for parents, educators,
and healthcare professionals to use. I can personally vouch that the materials are user-friendly because I
downloaded the app to my phone and was able to use it very easily. I am not the most technology
inclined person, so, if I was able to navigate the app anyone should be able to use it to track a child's
milestones. Another component that makes the materials user-friendly is the language used in the
material. The language is simple and straightforward without any medical jargon or hard to understand
words. There also videos available on the website in case individuals could not read the materials. I wish
my parents would have had access to materials like these when I was young. My mom has seen the
materials and she agrees with me.