EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn. – Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas
Mind institute Qatar is a special needs center with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians. We have an outstanding Early Intervention Program tailored to each child’s needs. Please learn more by visiting:
https://mindinstitutes.com/how-to-find-us/
Introduction
Early intervention programs provide special services to children from birth through age five who are at-risk or have special needs. The scope of these programs may also include the child’s family. Early intervention services and programs focus on the areas of cognition (thinking skills), speech/language, motor skills, self-help skills, and social-emotional development.
Professionals, including early intervention teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists, usually provide these services. A governing agency generally oversees the running of these programs, their services, and the service providers.
How Early Intervention Programs Work
Early intervention services and programs take many forms. The philosophy behind the delivery of these services is to serve the child and the family in the most natural setting. Many children are provided early intervention services in their home, a home child-care setting, a preschool setting, or a combination of these. Services can be provided on an individual basis or in a group, and good early intervention programs include a strong parental component that supports the family while giving the family information about issues the family views as important.
The Effectiveness of Early Intervention Services for Children with Special Needs
The effectiveness of early intervention services for children with special needs has been remarkable. People with disabilities and the members of their family’s report that early intervention services increased their quality of life. In addition, the results of research have demonstrated that when children with special needs receive early intervention services, they tend to live more productive lives, score higher on standardized assessments, and contribute more to society. Often, the effects their disability are lessened while new skills are learned. Children with disabilities who receive early intervention are less likely to develop a secondary disability as a result of not attending to the primary disability. For example, a child with a visual impairment is often delayed in cognitive and motor skills because he does not use the environment as a learning tool. Early intervention services can minimize these secondary delays by teaching the child to explore the environment and learn.