Early Intervention

WHAT IS EARLY INTERVENTION?

Early Intervention is a concept which applies to children who are discovered at a young age to have special educational needs which may affect their development. Early Intervention is aimed at reducing the effects of a child’s condition on their development and education. Early Intervention may be by the use of one-on-one support or direct or indirect therapy for the child.

THE THEORY BEHIND EARLY INTERVENTION

Theoretically there are three reasons for trying to intervene early:

• To enhance the child’s development. There is a large amount of research which shows that a child’s development is most rapid during their pre-school years. Accordingly, without Early Intervention the child may be likely to miss out during the short period of time when the opportunity to develop and learn is most acute.
• To provide support to the family. Early Intervention is also important for a child’s family. The additional stress which can be caused by having a child with special educational needs often affects the whole family’s wellbeing. Early Intervention often leads to parents changing their attitude towards their child and becoming better able to deal with their child’s behaviourisms.  It also means that as the child develops and his or her special needs become less pronounced the family should have more time for leisure activities and also more time to spend with the other children.
• To maximise the child’s contribution to society. Finally, by intervening early, wider society will also theoretically reap the benefits later.  It is suggested that the child’s increased development will go hand-in-hand with a decreased inter-dependence upon social institutions in later life and may even enhance the child’s potential future employment opportunities.

WHAT ARE THE CORE FEATURES TO INCLUDE IN AN EARLY INTERVENTION APPROACH?

There are certain core features which are present in most Early Intervention programmes. For example, it is paramount that any intervention takes place when the child is still young and, in most cases still at a pre-school age.  Also very important is the involvement of the child’s parents themselves. For example, if parents are able to learn to deal with their child’s needs early on they will be better able to implement the child’s programme at home. There is also widespread belief that any intervention needs to be intense and structured.

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT EARLY INTERVENTION?

The success of Early Intervention has now been confirmed by a number of research reports both by professionals and families. Striking results have been seen in cases involving children with autism. The results of one programme showed that a group of children who had received two years of early intervention tutoring had higher IQs, more advanced language and better daily living skills than similar children who had been receiving standard educational provision.

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Although the information we have provided here is meant to be helpful to you, Douglas Silas Solicitors cannot be held responsible for any damage or loss caused by any inaccuracy or reliance placed upon it. If you have any concerns about your child, you should seek professional educational or healthcare advice as soon as possible.