Early Intervention

John success thus far is not just because he is getting a little attention; it is because of an intense early intervention program. Although the therapy is play-based, it is structured. Goals are set and the play is used to help meet those goals.

Early Intervention is an educational program that is designed to help children with special needs that are under 3 years of age --- too young to enter the public school system's special education. During this critical time of development, children who are offered assistance through intense educational programs may not need any label once they hit school age. The goal is to address any needs the child has so that they will not need them later. Kids are like sponges and they are still developing at this age.

Many people miss the opportunity to seek early intervention. When a child gets a label under the age of 3, it will not remain on their permanent record. The label only gives them help and assistance from state funded programs. The label often scares families away.

Here are reasons why some people avoid early intervention and my reasons why you shouldn't:

Avoiding & ignoring the label
You don't do your child any favors by pretending the condition doesn't exist

Other Family Members Disagree
Other family members convince you there is really nothing wrong. As a parent, you spend the most time with your child. If there is something in your gut that tells you something is wrong, then there probably is.

They think that their child is too young to really tell and he'll catch up by 5 yrs. old
You can't go backwards. Early Intervention only works if you catch problems before the age of 3. Maybe he would have started talking on his own, but you'll never know. If you take a pass on the early intervention, you may be making it harder down the road. It can only HELP your child. If he never needed it to begin with, it will only help him get ahead.

They find other excuses to explain away the developmental delay
"My child is a boy. Boys always talk later than girls"
"My child is a second child. We don't always have time to spend with him. We just need to give him some attention"
"His daycare doesn't stimulate him enough. We're researching other schools to put him in"

They think kids need to play and have fun---that there is plenty of time for school
This therapy is fun. It is play. Kids love the structure, love the singing, love the games, and learn from it all. It strengthens the skills they are supposed to be developing before they enter school. They can only benefit from it.

Early Intervention is the best thing that happened to my family.