“Early intervention” can seem like a scary term to some parents, but what is it really? And does your child require early intervention services? In today’s world, it feels like we are constantly trying to diagnose and label just about everything. If you notice something or your doctor or childcare provider notices something about your child that is of concern regarding their development and/or reaching milestones, it never hurts to have an evaluation by an early intervention specialist.
What is Early Intervention?
Early intervention is really more of a blanket term for specialized therapy. An early intervention specialist evaluates children, usually in their toddler years, because they are more developed than in their infant stage and are more likely to display issues where therapy can be beneficial. Usually they come to the potential child’s home and do an assessment and evaluation on the child to see if they can discern any issues. Typically they deal with developmental delays, speech problems, or any oddities in their physical behavior that may require attention.
Based on the recommendations of the early intervention specialist, your child may qualify for special services/therapy such as occupational therapy. Often the therapy requires no payment if your child falls under specific qualifiers. Due to the mandate of the U.S. Congress, early intervention therapists/specialists are paid by the government who uses grants in order to pay them. If a child doesn’t meet the qualifications to receive free services, payment may be required to a therapist out-of-pocket or by your health insurance carrier, depending on the plan.
If your child meets the qualifications for services, they will set up a plan of treatment — usually a regimented list of activities for you and the child to perform, as well as referring the child to a specific specialist or physician. The recommendation from a physician that leads to early intervention is also likely. The EI specialist will then monitor the child’s progress to make sure all of the needs of the child and parent are being met and progress is being made.
In essence, an early intervention specialist is able to assess your child if they have special needs, or to get a head start on issues that may hinder your child later in life. Specific kinds of speech, behaviors and physical impairments can be worked on and even entirely fixed with the help of early intervention. If you have worries your child might have special needs, or has something distinct that’s impairing the growth process, speaking to your child’s pediatrician for a recommendation for an early intervention specialist may be right for you.
For more information, visit the U.S. Dept of Education: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepeip/index.html
