Caring for your baby is one of the most important responsibilities as a parent. If you’re noticing your young child has not yet started to do some of the things standard to growth, you might feel concerned about developmental delays or other issues. It’s important to speak up about these concerns early on. They can make a huge impact on helping your child to reach their full potential in life. There’s nothing to be afraid, ashamed, or worried about. There is so much great help out there. Let All Children Learn help guide you to the right doctors, providers, and advocates!
Early intervention services have been shown to significantly improve a child’s future success in school, community, and even as far into the future as their employment. In the near future, though, these services can help with your child’s transition into other programs as they enter school age.
What Are Early Intervention Services?
Early intervention services are services given to very young children with special needs. These services address developmental delays and, if these delays are still present at age three, are a path for a referral to the school district’s special education preschool.
These early services generally encompass the years from birth to three years old and include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. They may be provided in a therapist’s office or the child’s home.
Each state identifies certain disabilities or conditions that automatically qualify a child for Birth-to-Three early intervention services. Your child will be evaluated by educators and therapists to determine if the issues they are displaying will respond to early interventions.
Why Early Intervention Is Important for Your Child
The importance of early intervention services cannot be stressed enough. You may feel that your child is just a bit slower to achieve developmental milestones and will soon catch up to their peers. However, this mindset can end up delaying the start of crucial early intervention and hinder your child’s growth and potential. Acting early can help your child play, communicate, and learn – both now and in the future. Not to mention, the connections in a child’s brain are most adaptable in the first three years of life, so taking action this early on can go a long way. These neural circuits are the foundation for learning and behavior, and as they get older, they are harder to change.
Delays in speech, strength, balance, behavior, and fine and gross motor skills are some of the main areas these services address. They work to help your child remediate these identifiable deficits.
The therapists who provide these services also help the family meet their child’s special needs by offering guidance and support. They may guide you in making positive environmental changes, assisting with interactions with your child, and even using adaptive equipment if such is needed. Overall, these services can help the family to provide a healthy and nurturing environment for the child. The interactions you have with the early intervention team will also help you learn to advocate for your child and to collaborate in the future with the educational team during their school years.
Find an Early Intervention Service Provider
All Children Learn offers a directory of service providers near you. Search our expansive list of providers in your area, offering key services for your child’s special education needs.