Why Is Early Intervention Important?
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to find out that your child has been born with a disability. Feelings of fear, anxiety, depression, isolation and helplessness often surround new parents who don’t know where to go or who to turn to. Early intervention services are designed to quell the anxiety by providing resources and solutions to help you and your baby grow. With an early intervention, the child will foster with a large support structure and will have the best chance at normal development through specially-focused programs, while you get the emotional support you need to make it through the first few difficult years.
There are three main reasons to consider an early intervention program. First, early intervention services enhance child development. Intervention research suggests that the rate of human learning and development is most rapid in the first five years of life. Early skill development is crucial to laying the groundwork for lifelong education. Secondly, these interventions assist parents and siblings, helping them deal with feelings of stress or helplessness, while learning to maintain a positive attitude.
Families of handicapped children are found to have increased instances of divorce, suicide and domestic abuse, experts say, so an early intercession is critical to managing emotions from the onset. Lastly, early intervention services will increase the child’s developmental and educational gains, increasing his or her eligibility for future employment and self-sufficiency.
To gain the most from an early intervention, there are certain factors to consider. First of all, the earlier the intervention, the more effective it is. Secondly, the more involved parents are, the more successful their child’s treatment will be. Reduced stress, coping skills and at-home programs have a tremendous affect on the children. Lastly, highly structured and individualized intervention services are proven to be most effective.
One valuable resource for information is the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. On their website (http://www.nichcy.org) parents can check the State Resource Sheet to find early intervention services in their state. They can also fill out the Record-Keeping Worksheet, which is designed to help parents take an organized approach to their child’s care. This is a great starting point if you are considering an early intervention assessment by a multidisciplinary group of professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, early interventionist educators, occupational therapists and physical therapists.
