Learn the Signs, Act Early

The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council has been collaborating with the Center for Disease Control’s “Learn the Signs, Act Early” campaign since 2013 – our executive director, Nancy Cronin is the Act Early Ambassador for Maine.

Through this program, we are helping to improve early identification of autism and other developmental disabilities by collaborating with educators, medical professionals, and early childhood advocates to educate parents, teachers and doctors about the importance of screening for developmental milestones, and providing easy-to-understand materials to help them do so.

MDDC has done outreach through libraries, YMCA facilities and Children’s Discovery Museums across the state to distribute information. In the past two years, we have collaborated with Head Start programs and the Maine WIC program to widen our reach to underserved populations.

In 2018, in collaboration with the Department of Education, MDDC created and printed a sleeve publication that goes along with the CDC’s Milestones Moments booklet – that has Maine-focused information on accessing early intervention services through our state systems.

Training Opportunity 

Are you an early care and education provider? You have an important role to play in helping to identify children who might need help in their development! Click here to access a FREE online training course.

Act Early Materials

Click here for downloadable milestones checklists, flyers, and other information to help both parents and professionals learn how to watch for the signs of developmental delays, and what to do if they occur.