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What is Early Intervention?
Early intervention applies to children of
school age or younger who are discovered to
have or be at risk of developing a
handicapping condition or other special need
that may affect their development. Early
intervention consists in the provision of
services such children and their families
for the purpose of lessening the effects of
the condition. Early intervention can be
remedial or preventive in nature--remediating
existing developmental problems or
preventing their occurrence.
Early intervention may focus on the child
alone or on the child and the family
together. Early intervention programs may be
center-based, home-based, or a combination.
Services range from identification--that is,
hospital or school screening and referral
services--to diagnostic and direct
intervention programs. Early intervention
may begin at any time between birth and
school age; however, there are many reasons
for it to begin as early as possible.
If you think that your child or a child in your care is not
developing like other children, or may seem
delayed, California Early Start can help.
Early Start services are available for
children birth to three years.
Evaluation services are available to all
children who may be eligible for Early
Start. Anyone can make a referral. The first
step is that parent’s take is to discuss
their concerns with their health care
provider/doctor. You can also call your
local
Regional Center. After contacting the
Regional Center, a service coordinator will
be assigned to help the child’s parents
through the eligibility determination
process. Parent-to-parent support and
resource information is also available
through Early Start Family Resource Centers.
With parent consent, the service coordinator will schedule an
appointment for an evaluation of the child’s
motor skills, communication development,
learning (cognitive) skills, social
interaction and emotional development. If
the child is eligible for Early Start
services, early intervention professionals
will work with the family to develop a plan
that addresses the child’s needs, parent’s
concerns and the resources needed to support
the child’s development.
Why would my typically
developing child benefit from these
services?
All children grow and learn at a different rate. At Step By
Step your child is instructed by child
development professionals in a small group
setting. Our teachers are skilled in
understanding your child’s behaviors, based
in their specific developmental profile. Our
teachers are aware of which skills your
child is working on, and which skills to
nurture in order to help build your child’s
skill set so they may achieve their greatest
potential. Your child will receive
individualized attention in a 1:3 (adult to
child) structured classroom environment.
Large classes tend to be overwhelming for
little children; our small class size allows
for individual attention to be given to your
child, while still providing a multitude of
opportunities for socialization.
Socialization is a learning process that
begins shortly after birth. Early childhood
is the period of the most intense and the
most crucial socialization. It is then that
we acquire language and learn the
fundamentals of our culture. It is also
when much of our personality takes shape, as
well as our own self-image. Being part of a
group tell us who and what we are (i.e. I am
a girl, I am a friend). When your child
attends Step By Step, and is socialized in a
classroom environment where all the children
are different, they learn invaluable
emotions such as, sensitivity, patience and
compassion. They learn that everyone is
special in their own way. We believe that
one child’s weakness is another child’s
strength; and there is no better way to
learn then to teach!
Who provides services?
Early intervention services are individually
determined for each eligible infant or
toddler and are provided, purchased and/or
arranged by a
Regional Center.
Regional Centers are responsible for all
children eligible for Early Start services.
Family resource centers/networks provide
parent-to-parent support, information and
referral services for all families. You can
contact the Westside Regional Center (WRC)
at 310-258-4000 and the
WRC Family Resource Center
at 310-258-4063
How much does is cost?
Early Intervention services including evaluation, assessment
and service coordination are provided the
eligible infants and toddlers and their
families at no cost to the family. Early
Start is funded by federal funds (IDEA, Part
C) and State General Funds. Other
publicly-funded early intervention services
may also be utilized. If you require
additional information about accessing Early
Start services call 80-515-BABY or e-mail
earlystart@dds.ca.gov
Why Intervene Early?
There are three primary reasons for
intervening early with an exceptional child:
to enhance the child's development, to
provide support and assistance to the
family, and to maximize the child's and
family's benefit to society.
Child development research has established
that the rate of human learning and
development is most rapid in the preschool
years. Timing of intervention becomes
particularly important when a child runs the
risk of missing an opportunity to learn
during a state of maximum readiness. If the
most teachable moments or stages of greatest
readiness are not taken advantage of, a
child may have difficulty learning a
particular skill at a later time. Karnes and
Lee (1978) have noted that "only through
early identification and appropriate
programming can children develop their
potential" (p. 1).
Early intervention services also have a
significant impact on the parents and
siblings of an exceptional infant or young
child. The family of a young exceptional
child often feels disappointment, social
isolation, added stress, frustration, and
helplessness. The compounded stress of the
presence of an exceptional child may affect
the family's well-being and interfere with
the child's development. Early intervention
can result in parents having improved
attitudes about themselves and their child,
improved information and skills for teaching
their child, and more release time for
leisure and employment. Parents of gifted
preschoolers also need early services so
that they may better provide the supportive
and nourishing environment needed by the
child.
A third reason for intervening early is that
society will reap maximum benefits. The
child's increased developmental and
educational gains and decreased dependence
upon social institutions, the family's
increased ability to cope with the presence
of an exceptional child, and perhaps the
child's increased eligibility for
employment, all provide economic as well as
social benefits.
Is Early Intervention
Really Effective?
After nearly 50 years of research, there is
evidence--both quantitative (data-based) and
qualitative (reports of parents and
teachers)--that early intervention increases
the developmental and educational gains for
the child, improves the functioning of the
family, and reaps long-term benefits for
society. Early intervention has been shown
to result in the child: (a) needing fewer
special education and other facilitative
services later in life; (b) being retained
in grade less often; and (c) in some cases
being indistinguishable from non-handicapped
classmates years after intervention.
Disadvantaged and gifted preschool-aged
children benefit from early intervention as
well. Longitudinal data on disadvantaged
children who had participated in the
Ypsilanti Perry Preschool Project showed
that they had maintained significant gains
at age 19 (Berrueta-Clement, Schweinhart,
Barnett, Epstein, Weikart, 1984). These
children were more committed to schooling
and more of them finished high school and
went on to postsecondary programs and
employment than children who did not attend
preschool. They scored higher on reading,
arithmetic, and language achievement tests
at all grade levels; showed a 50% reduction
in the need for special education services
through the end of high school; and showed
fewer anti-social or delinquent behaviors
outside of school. Karnes (1983) asserts
that underachievement in the gifted child
may be prevented by early identification and
appropriate programming.
Are There Critical
Features To Include In Early Intervention?
While there have been too few attempts to determine critical
features of effective early intervention
programs, there are a few factors which are
present in most studies that report the
greatest effectiveness. These program
features include: (a) the age of the child
at the time of intervention; (b) parent
involvement ; and (c) the intensity and/or
the amount of structure of the program
model.
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Many studies and literature reviews report that the
earlier the intervention, the more
effective it is. With intervention
at birth or soon after the diagnosis of
a disability or high risk factors, the
developmental gains are greater and the
likelihood of developing problems is
reduced (Cooper, 1981; Garland, Stone,
Swanson, and Woodruff, 1981 ; Maisto and
German, 1979; Strain, Young, and
Horowitz, 1981).
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The involvement of parents in their
child's treatment is also important.
The data show that parents of both
handicapped and gifted preschool-aged
children need the support and skills
necessary to cope with their child's
special needs. Outcomes of family
intervention include: (a) the
parent's ability to implement the
child's program at home; and (b)
reduced stress that facilitates the
health of the family. Both of these
factors appear to play an important role
in the success of the program with the
child (Beckman-Bell, 1981; Cooper, 1981;
Garland and others, 1981; Karnes, 1983;
Lovaas and Koegel, 1973; Shonkoff and
Hauser-Cram, 1987).
Certain "structural" features are also
related to the effectiveness of early
intervention, regardless of the curriculum
model employed. Maximum benefits are
reported in programs that: (a) clearly
specify and frequently monitor child and
family behavior objectives; (b) precisely
identify teacher behaviors and activities
that are to be used in each lesson; (c)
utilize task analysis procedures; and (d)
regularly use child assessment and progress
data to modify instruction. Individualizing
instruction and services to meet child needs
also is reported to increase effectiveness.
This does not necessarily mean one-to-one
instruction. Rather, group activities are
structured to reflect the instructional
needs of each child.
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