ECI Monthly news & updates

January|2026

Early Communicator Calendar

First Words Calendar

Expanding Language Calendar

Happy New Year! We hope that each of you and your families have had a peaceful start to 2026. We would like to begin the year by expressing our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who helped make the Holiday Cheer program possible.

The Easterseals ECI Holiday Cheer program provides assistance to families enrolled in our ECI program who have been identified by their ECI team as needing support with holiday gifts. These families do not receive assistance from other holiday programs, such as Elf Louise or Blue Santa.

What began as a small, staff-supported initiative nearly two decades ago has grown tremendously over the years. Thanks to the generosity of community partners—including HEB, local clubs, and individual donors—the Holiday Cheer program has evolved into the meaningful and impactful program it is today.

This year, the Easterseals Holiday Cheer program assisted 115 children from 50 families. This Holiday Cheer was made possible by the generous donations from H-E-B Public Affairs, who contributed $2,500 in cash and $2,500 in H-E-B gift cards, as well as support from H-E-B Partner Solutions Engineering, Cindy Scott's team, H-E-B Information Technology Group from Austin , Marathon Made CrossFit Gym, TDC Services, DCD Renovation & Construction, Easterseals Family & Friends, and Easterseals Staff. We are deeply thankful to all who helped make Holiday Cheer a success!

Above: Cindy Scott and some of her team made a trip to Easterseals to drop off their gifts.

Above: Crystal Monterosa, owner of CrossFit Marathon Made dropped off the gifts collected at her gym.

Spotlight Story-Lucius

by Destiny Estrellado

As a first-time mother, I've discovered that embracing the journey can be both thrilling and intimidating. I've learned to navigate feelings of fear, self-doubt, and exhaustion, all while striving for excellence in my new role. Despite initial concerns about my son's development, I've found immense joy in watching him grow. When my son was two, his pediatrician recommended that he should be speaking, but he hadn't uttered a word. This sparked a desire to seek out services that would support his growth. After consulting with experienced mothers and conducting my own research, I found Easterseals.

Enrolling my son in Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) has been a game-changer. From February to December 2025, Easterseals sent a team of dedicated professionals, including Marlene, Verneda, and Veronica, who have each made a profound impact on our lives. Marlene's expertise in early childhood intervention has helped my son develop joint attention, identify emotions, expand his attention span, and much more. Verneda's speech therapy has been instrumental in unlocking my son's ability to communicate. I vividly remember the moment he spoke his first words around the 2nd month with her–it was a breakthrough that left me beaming with happiness. Veronica's occupational therapy has equipped my son with essential life skills, from fine and gross motor skills to sensory processing and self-care. What's more, these remarkable therapists have empowered me with the knowledge and tools to continue supporting my son's growth. The key to our success has been consistency, and I'm grateful for the lessons we've learned together.

Today, my son loves to sing, talk, play, and is curious about everything. As my son approaches his third birthday, I'm filled with a sense of hope and excitement for my his future. Thank you, ECI, for helping us and being a part of my family.

Become the Next Spotlight Family

Your Story Matters

We’d love to hear your journey. Whether it’s a small milestone or a life-changing moment, your story can inspire others and help us show the power of possibility.

Share Your Story

Introducing The Heart of ECI

At Easterseals ECI, our work is driven by people with big hearts—those who go above and beyond to support children, families, and one another every single day. To celebrate that spirit, we’re introducing a new monthly feature called “The Heart of ECI.” Each month, we’ll spotlight one of our incredible team members who embodies the compassion, dedication, and teamwork that make our mission come alive. These individuals are nominated by their peers—the people who see their kindness, commitment, and impact in action every day.

Noralba Martinez, MA, LCP

Serving Easterseals since 2005

This month, we’re proud to recognize Noralba as our Heart of ECI!

Noralba exemplifies the heart, skill, and dedication that define exceptional service at Easterseals ECI. Through her compassionate approach and strong teamwork, Noralba consistently helps families feel supported, confident, and empowered throughout their ECI journey.

One of Noralba’s greatest strengths is her ability to communicate with families in ways that ease worry and replace it with understanding and motivation. She takes the time to listen carefully, explain concerns clearly, and help families see their child’s potential and progress. Her thoughtful communication builds trust and encourages families to actively participate in their child’s development.

As a teammate, Noralba is collaborative, reliable, and always willing to go above and beyond. She works closely with her team to determine the best ways to support each child and family, and she is known for stepping in to help with IFSPs, evaluations, and documentation whenever needed. Her strong organizational and time-management skills shine through in her proactive approach—often starting evaluation reports and notes well ahead of deadlines to ensure quality and continuity of care.

Noralba also brings the Easterseals ECI mission to life through her leadership, integrity, and compassion. She consistently comes prepared with resources to support both families and colleagues and clearly explains the coaching model, modeling it in practice and empowering families while holding them accountable in a respectful, encouraging way. She goes above and beyond always, volunteering and participating for nearly every event Easterseals has and lending her artistic talent to us often.

Her commitment to family services and support is evident in every interaction. Noralba actively listens to family concerns, validates their feelings, and communicates openly about changes or challenges. When cancellations occur, she makes every effort to offer make-up visits to ensure children continue receiving the services they need. She provides the same level of professionalism and care to her colleagues as she does to the families she serves.

Noralba’s dedication, professionalism, and heartfelt commitment make a lasting difference for children, families, and the entire ECI team. She truly embodies the Heart of ECI, and we are grateful for the compassion and excellence she brings to her work every day.

Heart & Voice: Advocating for Tomorrow, is a monthly segment in our newsletter dedicated to highlighting advocacy opportunities for young children with special healthcare needs. This feature will educate and inform parents about current issues, policies, and initiatives that directly impact their children’s care and well-being. Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to stay engaged, Heart & Voice will empower you with the knowledge and tools to make your voice heard and help shape a better future for your child.

Morgan's MAC

Morgan’s MAC is the first of its kind! By providing health, living, and other resources to individuals with special needs and disabilities, they are helping bridge the ability gap.

Morgan’s MAC aims to become a destination for individuals with special needs and disabilities providing the best care, support, and community. The facility is built with special attention to Ultra-Accessibility™ and is sensory sensitive to eliminate physical barriers.

All services have been designed in a framework called Morgan’s MAC Care Model™. This will provide clients with services they require within one network. We have high hopes that Morgan’s MAC Care Model™ will encourage other communities to adopt a collaborative, coordinated healthcare effort to assist their community members with special needs.

Operating under a "one-stop-shop" model, it uses "MAC Navigators" to coordinate care, including specialized clinics, dental care, therapy, and community support services.

Services Provided at The MAC Include:

Medical Home: Specialized, sensory-friendly, and accessible healthcare services, including primary care and specialized pediatric care.
Community Support: Resources for non-medical drivers of health (NMDOH), such as legal aid, financial planning, social services, and education/job training support.
Navigation & Coordination: Personalized support to help families navigate the complex system of care through the MACNav™ system.
Sensory-Friendly Care: The center facilitates specialized, comfortable medical procedures for individuals with special needs.
Morgan's Salon
Practice Without Pressure

The MAC aims to improve the quality of life by reducing barriers to care, offering comprehensive support for all ages. Learn more here.

Easterseals ECI is proud to be a new community partner of the MAC. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings and look forward to meaningful collaboration that will strengthen support for children and families in our community.

Tickets for the 9th Annual Calendar Raffle will go on sale in February!

Stay tuned for a chance to support Easterseals ECI.

Great prizes raffled off DAILY in March. All proceeds from raffle ticket sales benefit our Champions fore Charity campaign.

Check out all confirmed donors here.

You Can Make a 107% Difference

Easter Seals Early Childhood Intervention invites you to support us through Champions fore Charity, an exciting fundraising program linked to the Valero Texas Open, the 3^rd oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule. Our fundraising goal from Champions fore Charity is ($25,000), and your contribution will get us even closer to our goal.

How Easter Seals ECI will benefit…

We will receive 100% of what we raise through Champions fore Charity. Valero Texas Open and Champions fore Charity pays all the costs to run the program. And depending on how well we do, we can even earn additional “Bonus Money” provided by the Valero Texas Open, including a 7% match to make your donation even grow further!

A $25.00 donation helps identify children who need early intervention services through child find activities.
A $50.00 donation helps provide access to community resources and services for ECI children and their families.
A $100.00 donation helps provide therapy services for ECI Children so they can excel in meeting their developmental milestones.

Fun Incentives for YOU…

To add sizzle to the program, twenty-five (25) lucky donors will be randomly drawn to each win a $100 Valero gas gift card compliments of Valero. Winners will be selected after the conclusion of the fundraising campaign which ends April 13.

You also have a chance to guess who the 2026 Valero Texas Open Champion will be for a chance to win a Stay & Play Gift Package to TPC San Antonio and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Participating donors who have provided an email address will receive an email from tournament officials after the player field is announced on Friday, March 27. Donors will have until Wednesday, April 1 to select from the player field who they believe will win the tournament.

The winner will be drawn from those who correctly guessed the tournament champion and receive the grand prize, along with earning us a donation of $5,000! If more than one person correctly guesses, a drawing amongst those who guessed correctly will be conducted. If no one correctly guesses, a drawing among all donors will take place… and you may just win!

One (1) lucky donor who attends the 2026 Valero Texas Open will win a two-year lease on a Lexus NX, compliments of North Park Lexus San Antonio and Dominion. Donors must use the same email address for their ticket to the Valero Texas Open, to verify attendance upon gate scan and entry to the tournament grounds.

Donate Today!