Jackson Dennis picked up a toy hammer and began to bang away at plastic play pegs.

"He was born at 28 weeks and weighed only one-and-a-half pounds a birth," his grandfather Dan Dennis said.  "He spent the next 93 days in intensive care at Mary Bridge."

Today, the little guy attends A Step Ahead in Pierce County (ASAPC), a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization that supports the families of infants and toddlers with special needs by enhancing their development and relationships both at home and in their communities.

"We nurture these children," Candy Watkins, executive director, said.  "We work with children from the ages of birth to 36 months."

Begun a decade ago, ASAPC assists parents and their children in meeting developmental outcomes by offering activities and suggestions that can be incorporated into daily routines.

Eligible children must demonstrate a 25-percent delay in at least one area of development or be at biologic risk for developmental delay.

"Research shows that brain development occurs between the ages of birth and 5, and we help to provide the stimulation for that," Watkins said.

She also added that 32 percent of the children who attend ASAPC do not qualify for special education. "We are effective," Watkins said.

Teachers with specialized backgrounds offer classes in special education, early childhood, behavior management, infant mental health and motor development.

There is also a lending library of books and DVDs to help parents learn more about their child's disabilities and appropriate teaching strategies.

"Families need support, and we offer that by assisting in the child's development in the home and the community," Watkins continued.

Approximately 18 percent of the children ASAPC works with come from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. "We have a very good working relationship with Madigan (Healthcare System)," Watkins added.

ASAPC's Combined Federal Campaign donation number is 30471.  Eighty six percent of the money received goes to supporting the center's activities.

"Every child needs the optimum opportunity to develop," Watkins said.  "We need support from the community versus what the government can afford to spend on these children."

For more information about A Step Ahead in Pierce County, visit www.asapc.org, email info@asapc.org or call (253) 471-2727.