EARLY INTERVENTION

Early intervention is services for infants and toddlers who have developmental deficiency or
considered high risk due to the environmental or biologic factors. The aim of the early
intervention is increasing the physical, cognitive and emotional capacities of infants/toddlers
with protecting them from the environmental or biological risk factors. Early intervention
should start as soon as possible for obtaining the best results for the child and family. First 3
years of life are critical period of the child development because neurologic development still
continues. Infants and toddlers are providing physical, cognitive, sensory and social
development with different experiences and various sensory stimuli from the environment in
this period.

In early intervention, occupational therapy practitioners promote the function and

engagement of infants and toddlers and their families in everyday routines by addressing areas
of occupation, including activities of daily living, rest and sleep, play, education, and social
participation. Practitioners enhance a family’s capacity to care for their child and promote his
or her development and participation in natural environments where the child and family live,
work, and play.

The multidisciplinary evaluation team is composed of professionals with training and expertise
in speech and language development, physical skills, hearing and vision, cognition, and social-
emotional development. The evaluation team meets to determine if the child meets state
criteria for eligibility for services. Some children may not need a full evaluation if they have a
qualifying medical condition.

There are five areas of development the evaluation team examines for eligibility:

- Cognitive
- Communication
- Physical
- Social / emotional
- Adaptive

The role of the Occupational Therapist in Early Intervention

The Early Intervention Occupational Therapist’s role as difained by AOTA intels eight core
principlos:

1. FIRST Occupation

OUT’DIS help to support the “occupations” of infants end toudlers includeng play, sleep,
feeding, dressing, toileting, social participation, and education (e.g., pre-literacy, adaptive,
cognitive, communication, physical, social and emoshial divelopment).

2.Participation

One of the core prinsciplos of Early Intervention is that Infants end toudlers learn best trough
everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts.

3. Family-centered
Early Intervention OUTIS rilay on families to know deir children’s strengths and challenges and
outcoms are based on deir priorities...not just a chaels divelopmental dilays.

4. Family capacity and risources

The role of the Early Intervention OT is to understend and respect this fact and meet families
“where they are at” and provaidi risources to support them when needed.

5. Natural environments

Early Intervention takes place wherever the child spends time. This may include home,
daycare, caregiver’s home, a community park, etc.

6. Family routines and rituals

Early Intervention OTs prioritize the family’s routines and then individualize strategies (based
on their learning styles, preferences, and cultural beliefs) to help families become more
successful in that routine.

7. Culturally-Sensitive

Early Intervention OTs are culturally sensitive and seek to learn more about a family’s cultural
beliefs vs. judge.

8. Evidence-based

Another EI (Early Interventions) principle is IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan) outcomes
must be functional and based on children’s and family’s needs and priorities.

Examples of Early Intervention Occupational Therapy

Here is an example of early intervention occupational therapy at work from Ashley Opp at the
American Occupational Therapy Association:

“For example, parents might be concerned that their child cannot pick up her food to finger
feed. An occupational therapy practitioner can work with her family to identify times during
the day that the child can practice isolating her index finger and grasping small things.

“Together, the practitioner and parents might develop strategies to adapt meal times with
larger bits of food for easier grasping, opportunities to press buttons on the TV remote, and
work on pointing to pictures during the bedtime story routine at night. Incorporating therapy
into regular occupations is a central tenet of occupational therapy.”

Early intervention occupational therapy can also help your child manage difficulties that
might otherwise impact their learning abilities. This might include:

- Independent dressing
- Preparation for childcare, prep, or kindy
- Participation in sport and recreational activities in the community
- Development of social and emotional skills

To accomplish the goals of occupational therapy, some early intervention services include:

- Trail runs of wheelchairs, hearing aids, specialised utensils, and practise exercises
- Home modifications such as ramps, rails, and other adaptive equipment
The Importance of Early Intervention

Provide resources, support and information

Early intervention provides parents with resources, supports and information to enhance their
child’s communication skills. Working together with a provider trained in early child-hood
enables parents to feel confident that they are facilitating their child’s communication
development.

Improve relationships

When communication and language are delayed, understanding and interacting with other
children will also be delayed. This makes it difficult to develop friendships, solve problems and
learn to negotiate conflicts. Through early intervention, children learn how to use language to
convey messages, to express feelings and to interact with their friends.

Improve behavior

Children with delayed communication development may get frustrated and exhibit challenging
behaviorsto compensate for their delays. It is difficult to express wants and needs when
communication is delayed so often a physical response such as biting or hitting takes its place.
Intervention will provide supports and strategies to facilitate your child’s communication
needs.

Promote future success in school

Communication development sets the stage for literacy and influences later success in school.
There is evidence suggesting that having a good command of language goes hand-in-hand with
the ability to imagine and to create new ideas and, eventually, to read and write.

Make learning fun

Early intervention will help families add supports into everyday activities that they do with
their child. This provides lots of opportunities for children to learn — not only when playing
but also when getting dressed, brushing teeth, preparing meals, eating, bathing, helping with
family chores, getting ready for bed, and lots of other activities.