Month: April 2021

First, let’s start with the question, “What is Early Intervention?”. Early Intervention(EI) is a multi-disciplinary service and support system provided to families and caregivers for children found eligible, presenting with a developmental delay or disability. It may include: Physical Therapy(PT), Occupational Therapy(OT), Speech and Language Therapy, or Specialized Instruction(SI). Additional services may include, Vision, Hearing, or Nutritional supports. Why is it important? It provides families and caregivers resources, information, and support to assist their child with developmental skills so they can participate in their family’s routines and activities. EI can help families and caregivers embed learning opportunities throughout the day. By doing so, their child grows in their abilities to engage and become independent within their family, as well as the community. Why are the family routines and activities critical for children to learn and participate in?

1. Children learn best in their natural environments. Whether they are at home, in a child care setting, or at a family member’s house, learning opportunities happen almost every moment of the day when they are awake!
2. When a child become eligible for EI, this means there is an area of development that is delayed. EI is designed to assist and support families to practice strategies that improve/enhance the skills that are or are not already occurring. They teach families and caregivers how to provide multiple opportunities to practice.
3. Practicing a certain strategy or skill becomes a naturally occurring process through out the day instead of, setting aside only a specific amount of time to practice. This can lead to the child not generalizing the skill. For example, if you only practice the word “more” with your child to ask for more blocks, they may not use that same word to meet their need of more to eat or drink. Imagine the frustration that may occur!

Whether you think we you are a person who is a “free spirit”(not routine oriented) or a person who lives and breaths structure/schedule(routine oriented), “routines” do occur every day for every one of us! Think about it this way: We all wake up, get dressed, eat, go to bed. What else do we ALL need to do during the day? There is so much opportunity to practice a LARGE variety of skills every day. Also, this gives us as parents and caregivers, the ability to help our children learn the skills they need for every day life.