Early intervention is defined as a collection of services for ages birth to five years designed to aid in the development of a child with a delay, potential delay or other disability. When children do not achieve normal milestones or regress, parents and health care providers should ideally seek evaluation and when needed, placement in an early intervention program. Young children who receive these services generally avoid special education as school age children, and do not usually require adult programs.
Recognizing a Developmental Delay
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than half of all children with developmental challenges are identified before they begin school. Parents should be aware of the typical milestones children are expected to achieve and when to become concerned. Developmental milestones are usually divided into gross and fine motor skills, language, cognitive and social skills. The National Network for Childcare provides a lengthy list of these milestones for the first, second, third and fourth years.
Assessment of Child Development
If you have concerns about your child's development, it is important to discuss your observations with your pediatrician. He or she can refer you to evaluation services. Assessment is generally preformed by a team of professionals including a speech pathologist, developmental or clinical psychologist, social worker and a developmental pediatrician.
Several screening tools are implemented to provide these professionals with a starting point for diagnosis. Screening may be performed by a paraprofessional, nurse or in your pediatrician's office. After screening, more focused testing and observation is necessary for pinpointing your child's specific needs.
Early Intervention Programs
Once a child has been diagnosed with a developmental delay, a treatment plan can be formulated. Many types of programs exist to fulfill the needs of toddlers. Some state programs provide home visits from occupational and speech therapists. Many other children benefit from preschools geared toward the developmentally delayed child. These preschools employ or contract occupational therapists, speech pathologists and special education teachers.
Parental Involvement
In addition to developmental professionals, parents of delayed children must also provide support. Caregivers can instruct parents in helping their child overcome specific obstacles. Exercises, games or using sign language to communicate are some of the ways parents can provide in home therapy for delayed children. Siblings may also be involved in assisting the delayed child.
If you have concerns about the development of your child, seeking early intervention can identify his specific needs and address them in a timely manner. Children who do not receive services as toddlers do not catch up to peers easily if at all.
Sources
National Network for Childcare (Accessed November 15, 2010.)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Child Development” (Accessed November 15, 2010.)
Sheila Holloway - Sheila Holloway is a psychology student at Liberty University. She has been a professional romance novelist since 2004 and freelance ...
Join the Conversation