An Early Intervention Program Is Important

early intervention services

If your child is having trouble with physical, cognitive, communicative, social, emotional or adaptive development, then he or she is eligible for an early intervention. Early intervention services for infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children are designed to address the needs of children who have developmental delays or disabilities, while providing additional emotional and education support to their families. By law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides a free, early intervention program, which includes treatment, if eligible.

There are three main reasons to consider an early intervention program. First, early intervention services enhance child development. Intervention research suggests that the rate of human learning and development is most rapid in the first five years of life. Early skill development is crucial to laying the groundwork for lifelong education. Secondly, these interventions assist parents and siblings, helping them deal with feelings of stress or helplessness, while learning to maintain a positive attitude.

Families of handicapped children are found to have increased instances of divorce, suicide and domestic abuse, experts say, so an early intercession is critical to managing emotions from the onset. Lastly, early intervention services will increase the child's developmental and educational gains, increasing his or her eligibility for future employment and self-sufficiency.

Some parents wonder, "Is early intervention really effective?" After nearly 50 years of research by the Department of Education, there is substantial evidence that early intervention services increase the developmental and educational gains for the child. Additionally, children with early interventions need less services later in life, have less instances of failing a grade and offer more long-term benefits for society. The parents who go through the intervention program are also in a healthier, happier place. One intervention study indicated that disadvantaged and gifted preschoolers benefited from an early intervention program all the way through to age 19. These benefits included more dedication to school, more college attendees, higher reading/arithmetic/language test scores, fewer instances of delinquent behavior and a 50% reduction in the need for special education services in high school (Berrueta-Clement, Schweinhart, Barnett, Epstein, Weikart, 1984).

One valuable resource for information is the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. On their website (http://www.nichcy.org) parents can check the State Resource Sheet to find early intervention services in their state. They can also fill out the Record-Keeping Worksheet, which is designed to help parents take an organized approach to their child's care. This is a great starting point if you are considering an early intervention assessment by a multidisciplinary group of professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, early interventionist educators, occupational therapists and physical therapists.