As a parent, you have likely spent a significant amount of time reviewing resources that outline the pivotal milestones of early childhood development. If your child is not reaching the milestones in the typical time frame, your child’s pediatrician will likely advise whether early intervention is a beneficial next step.
Some of the most critical milestones in early childhood development include speech and language, behavior, motor skills, and sensory integration. As you know, there are many other key milestones! When children experience delays in any major area of development, it can be helpful to receive services from a team of professionals who can address their specific needs, such as a pediatric speech-language pathologist (SLP), occupational therapist (OT), or ABA therapist.
After performing assessments for your child, the team will create an individualized plan that is tailored to fit the unique abilities and needs of your child. For instance, if a child is experiencing delays in their speech and language skills, they may receive early intervention treatment from a speech-language pathologist who creates a plan to target their specific areas of delay, such as expressive language or receptive language.
While this team of professionals are the experts in their respective fields, you, as the parent, are the expert in your child. Especially with young children, it is crucial for full-family involvement in early intervention treatment. Full-family involvement means that parents and primary caregivers play an important role in treatment, including sharing important information about the child with the team of therapists and incorporating home practice strategies outside of therapy sessions. Before treatment even begins, parents will determine the early intervention program that best suits the specific needs and learning style of their child. Parents can truly help their children by acting as advocates throughout the therapeutic process, so it is important for parents and therapists to maintain open (and frequent!) communication throughout early intervention services.
If there are certain strategies working well in therapy sessions, parents can also learn more about these methods, in order to use them at home. In addition to learning strategies, it is crucial for parents to understand their child’s specific delays or condition. For instance, if a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or sensory processing disorder (SPD), it is important for parents to learn exactly what this means for their child’s development. There are extensive resources available online that are free of cost, books and manuals, as well as parent trainings (for some conditions). All of these factors promote consistency with therapeutic strategies, particularly if parents are practicing these strategies in the home, as well.
Full-family involvement is extremely important for ensuring success in early intervention for little ones. If you have questions about how to become more involved in the process, talk to your child’s therapist (or team members) about becoming a more active participant.