Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

By David Opinko

Alberta

Alberta Health Link 811 adds support for child development concerns

Apr 10, 2023 | 2:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Parents, guardians, and caregivers in Alberta can now access free advice and guidance about any concerns they have with their child’s development.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) said, by calling Health Link at 811, people can be redirected to the new Pediatric Rehabilitation Line (PRL) to speak with an occupational therapist or other appropriate allied health professional.

According to AHS, the PRL provides advice to those who care for children, from birth to 18 years, who have developmental concerns, such as:

• Moving and playing (e.g., crawling, walking, coordination, playing with toys, using utensils).
• Talking and listening (e.g., babbling, using words and sentences, speech sounds, understanding directions, stuttering, voice quality).
• Taking care of self (e.g., dressing, toileting, sleeping).
• Managing emotions (e.g., calming self, becoming overwhelmed or overstimulated).
• Difficulty eating or swallowing (e.g., coughing, gagging).
• Hearing (e.g., responding to sounds, noise, voices, words).

The Line can also help callers who are looking for local services and/or rehabilitation resources.

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AHS President and CEO Mauro Chies said the PRL is an innovative way that AHS is bringing more care options to more Albertans.

“Directing callers to allied health professionals through the Pediatric Rehabilitation Line not only links that caller to immediate and appropriate care information, it provides parents and guardians with peace of mind when they are able to speak to directly with a professional about concerns related to their children,” said Chies.

AHS said it also offers free webinars that cover a range of developmental topics for children and youths, including toilet training and tummy time to emotional regulation and speech development.

Most of the webinars are live and all are free of charge. They are delivered on Zoom and require registration.

For more information on AHS webinars and to register, go to the MyHealth Alberta website.