What is early intervention and who to turn to

Early intervention aims to encourage the proper growth and development of the child, as well as to provide support to the child so that he can actively and independently participate in social life.

Contact your doctor/pediatrician for inclusion in early intervention programs. The team for early intervention usually consists of pediatricians, psychologists, special educators, speech therapists, social workers, nurses.  

Early intervention is carried out for children up to the age of 5-6, who have developmental delays and developmental deviations, but it is best to start with it as early as possible. Early intervention is very important due to the huge developmental potential of the child in the first years of life and the plasticity of the brain, which enables the achievement of optimal development of a child with developmental difficulties. 

Any developmental deviation can be a criteria for involving a family in early intervention even without a set diagnosis. 

Early intervention services and family support programs are: 

  • based on teamwork 

  • conducted individually for each individual child and family, relying on daily routines and activities in the family and kindergarten (when the child is included in the team) 

  • focused on the family, take into account family priorities, context, support network and family living conditions 

  • rely on the strengths of the child and the family on which the support plan is built and implemented 

  • focused on the child's interests and motivation in the context of everyday activities 

  • based on scientifically proven strategies for stimulating child development. 

Although evidence-based, early intervention is not equally effective in all children with autism, nor is it equally effective at different stages of life.