Various factors determine the effectiveness of learning challenges programs for children. One of these is early intervention. All the scientific research suggests that the earlier children are given adequate support for their disabilities, the more likely they are to develop the skills they need and go on to lead happy and successful lives.
What do we mean by early intervention?
In the context of children with disabilities, early intervention is when their support needs are identified when they are very young. Once identified, immediate steps are then taken to adapt their environment and education. This is to accommodate their disability and to teach them the skills they are likely to need in the future. It is about ensuring that the provision of support is not delayed, and instead is made available in a timely manner.
How can a learning challenges program for children support early intervention?
Early intervention typically begins before a child has even started school and requires engagement from parents. Those first few years of education are vital in establishing communication skills, social skills and the other foundations for success later in life. A good learning challenges program for children will work with parents to ensure children are supported at home and at school.
Being able to offer appropriate support requires an adequate assessment of a child’s needs. A diagnosis alone is not enough, as each condition operates on a spectrum, and every child has different strengths and areas of challenge. This means that intervention often starts with a thorough evaluation of the child’s current state. It allows the development of an individualized plan for how to build and reinforce skills in a way that is responsive to their particular situation. All interventions should be evidence-based, with a range of different programs available to support children in different areas of development depending on their unique traits.
Why is early intervention important?
Research suggests that early intervention is one of the most important ways you can strengthen outcomes for children with learning disabilities. Our first few years of life is when our brains are most capable of learning new things, and when we start to develop skills and habits that may last a lifetime. Trying to fix problems in adulthood that could have been addressed in childhood often become more difficult to manage and less responsive to intervention later in life. Early intervention allows positives to be boosted whilst protecting against risk factors.
Children who receive timely support are more likely to achieve better academic results, and may also experience improved communication and social development. Just as they develop important skills and coping mechanisms for dealing with life, any behavioural issues have less of a chance to become ingrained. As they grow older, they will have a much stronger foundation of skills to handle new challenges and will be less likely to face severe difficulties that require more intensive interventions.
It is not just children with disabilities who benefit from early intervention. It is also better for families, particularly parents and siblings, who will also gain the skills they need to support their loved one.
Conclusion
All children with disabilities are different, but every one of them needs to receive adequate accommodations. The younger they are when this is first done, the more likely they are to be able to learn successfully. Learning disabilities programs need to start supporting children as early as possible to facilitate their development.