Early intervention and the first six months

A position statement regarding early intervention for children with developmental disabilities (2013) reports early intervention as being:

• Timely provision of an optimal nurturing and learning environment that will maximise developmental outcomes and prevent activity based, functional and participation limitations
• A system of coordinated services that promotes the child’s growth and development and supports families during the critical early years. ⁽¹⁾

There is substantial national and international evidence that comprehensive early intervention programs for children and their families have long-term benefits for physical and mental health, educational achievement and emotional functioning (Child health screening and surveillance 2002); and that early identification and intervention can improve outcomes for both the child and for the family and is more likely to be successful when intervention is focussed as much on supporting and training parents as it does on working directly with the child. ^(1,2,3,4)

The first 6 months of life is particularly important as many of the core developmental skills have their foundations in this period, including:

• Self regulation
• Attachment and interaction
• Imitation and turn-taking
• Stability and mobility

In addition, the brain and motor pathways have more plasticity in this period.

Features of successful early intervention programs include:

• Early as possible start
• Active, motivating and ideally initiated by the infant
• Intensity or “dosage” is high
• Interventions are parent or family centred
• Interventions occur in an ideal environment at the right time. ^(3,4)

Please see key references in Conclusion.