Early Intervention: Give Your Child a Head Start!by Kristyn Crow | More from this Blogger 23 May 2006 08:26 PM What is early intervention and why is it so important?
This is the principle of early intervention for children with special needs. They are starting their life's journey with disadvantages, in a world that will move forward and leave them behind. Early intervention gets the "race" started early for these kids and provides them with services and "checkpoints" to determine how they're managing. This is why early intervention programs are sometimes called head start. Early intervention programs might include speech therapy with a speech language pathologist, a special preschool class, behavioral therapy, physical therapy where a specialist comes to your home to help your child improve motor skills, and other kinds of programs that your child might need. Studies have shown that children between the ages of zero and three are in a crucial phase of development. If rigorous intervention efforts are made during these three years, the child's outlook can be improved considerably. Every State Has an Early Intervention Program. Early Intervention services are mandated by the Federal Government. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), children from the ages of zero to three with developmental delays are eligible for these head start programs. Early intervention is a joint effort involving community programs, government agencies, school districts, and medical facilities. The programs available to your child vary depending on the state you live in. Typically, the child and his family are assigned a social worker who will help develop an IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan). This plan outlines what kind of early intervention programs will best help your child. How will I know if my child qualifies? Your child will qualify if he is found to have either of these two conditions: He has (1) a diagnosed condition causing disability, or (2) he has a developmental delay of unknown causes. When a baby is born, the infant is immediately assessed by qualified professionals in the hospital. The baby is evaluated for any condition(s) which may be associated with disabilities, like low birth weight, decreased muscle tone, low Apgar scores, or other physical signs connected with genetic disorders. If it appears that the infant has any risk factors, the family will be referred to their state's early intervention program. If your child appears normal at birth but sometime later falls behind in reaching developmental milestones, you must take the initiative to start the evaluation process yourself. This usually begins with a simple trip to your pediatrician, where you thoroughly discuss your observations. If your child's doctor does not seem concerned, have him or her explain his position clearly. If you are still worried, you should contact your state's early intervention program. How can I locate the Early Intervention Program in my state? Start by visiting the NICHCY website (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities) and click on "state resources." Find your state, and see what is listed there. Make phone calls, and explain your situation. You should be directed to find the resources you need for assessments and services. Another terrific site is www.zerotothree.org. Related Article: How Early Intervention Helped Our Family Learn more about Kristyn Crow  Kristyn Crow is the mother of seven children, and the author of three children's books. Visit her website at www.kristyncrow.com. Relevantspecial needs tags User Comments  lovelylis2007 (15) 30 Jun 2007 08:40 PMThis article was very insightful. I have had my son in EI for almost a year now and his speech has improved so much!! We love EI!!!  Valorie Delp (49340) 01 Jul 2007 05:27 AMNow see. . .we had a very negative experience with EI. This could be because I live in NYC and things here are bigger and just more beaureaucratic. . .and it could be bc we homeschool as well. And I have to say that if your child needs it. . .I agree. . .EI is very important. But we really felt like my son was overevaluated. We were told that he probably had ADHD, in addition to severe speech impetiment and that he needed occupational therapy (which if you knew my son you'd laugh), as well as speech therapy and medication. We turned down all the services including the speech therapy which is in fact what he was evaluated for. We felt like he didn't need anything, and we were right. But it was definitely difficult to get 'out of the system'. BTW, he does not have ADHD--not even close, and the speech impetiment cleared once the damage to his ear drums cleared. Thanks for the article Kristyn!  Kristyn Crow (2546) 01 Jul 2007 01:13 PMUltimately parents know their children better than anyone else. Early intervention can be a miracle for many families, but if you feel your child is "over-programmed" you must speak up as his advocate. It sounds like both of you found the path toward getting your children the help they needed most. That's what good parenting is about! Valorie Delp (49340) 01 Jul 2007 07:41 PMI agree--for many families EI is a miracle. . .the difference between years of special ed classes and mainstreaming--at least here. Really great article Kristyn!  Stacie81 (10) 05 Jul 2007 02:48 AMEI has been a blessing for my son, me, and my family Though trying to raise a special needs child by yourself can be very challenging it's good to know there're support groups and for me, my family to help when I start to feel overwhelmed! My son has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) & things can get crazy sometimes, esp. since he's also 2 years old lol =) tom2000 (15) 25 Feb 2009 07:16 AMHi I really thankful to you because you are simply great.Addiction is generally associated with increased drug tolerance. In physiological terms, addiction is not necessarily associated with substance abuse since this form of addiction can result from using medication as prescribed by a doctor.I am very happy to post my comment in this blog. I gathered lot of information from this site. Nice blog. Tom Drug Intervention Community Tags disability, early intervention, EI, head start, special needs, SPD Discuss this article
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I like to use analogies, so imagine that you are about to enter a bicycle race. At the starting line, you discover that your bike has a few problems. Some of the gears aren't functioning properly, and one of your wheels isn't correctly aligned. You can't get a new bike, so you are given permission to start the race early. Along the way, you'll be able to stop at various checkpoints where mechanics will assess how your bike is holding up.
