Early Intervention

Who?

• Developmental delays
• At risk for delays or disabilities
• Any child experiencing difficulties with language, behavior, motor skills, etc.

What is it?

• Screening
• Assessment
• Clinical services
• Classroom-based supports and programs
• May include development of an IEP

What can teachers do?

• Observe and document
• Classroom-based assessments
• Intervene
• Evaluate success of interventions
• Refer if needed
• Communicate frequently with parents!

When to intervene?

• As early as possible
• Early intervention can prevent or lessen the impact of delays and disabilities later on in life

Where does EI take place?

• Regular classroom
• Pull-out model
• Health care facilities
• Home

Why early intervention?

• $1 spent in the early years can save $7 or more in special education services later on. Minimum!
• Give children the BEST possible start in life!

Classroom-Based Interventions

Motor Skills

• Fine motor activities as discussed yesterday
• Daily gross motor activities
• Teach and practice skills
• Supports: pencil grip, ball in the hand, weighted pencil

Social-Emotional Development

• Play-based learning
• Teach mindfulness and empathy through programs such as MindUP! and Roots of Empathy

Language & Communication

• Teach phonemic awareness skills
• Segmentation, deletion, manipulation, substitution of phonemes
• Rhyming activities: production and identification
• Lindamood LiPS
• Read read read to children!

Developing Self-Regulation

• Executive functioning
• Capacity to control and manage one's impulses
• Play-based learning
• Play planning
• Self-regulated snack