Improving Early Intervention : The Future Of Our Children Through Policy Change

The Ontario government is focused on providing effective early interventions for young children with autism (Perry, n.d.). Throughout the years, a substantial amount of research has been done regarding the neuroplasticity and the effectiveness of early intervention in young children (Perry, n.d.). The results of this research have given professionals a greater understanding for a new program directed to young children- which is designed and implemented for children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and some diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are also eligible (Perry, n.d.). In 1999, $19 million was funded by the Ontario government to be invested in the services of Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI). This specific program is developed for children up to and including the age of 5 years old (Perry, n.d.).

In the video ‘Early Intervention: The Missing Link’ a presumably deaf woman explains how confident deaf people are, how they are not disabled, and how doctors should be more sensitive with families of deaf children. However, I think this is not only a presumptuous point of view, but also a fine example of how political correctness is slowly taking over society.

In this mock IEP meeting, we examine John Grohman from Kelsey Elementary School. John is a 2nd grade student who has Asperger’s Syndrome. He is a student who has extreme behavioral problems. John’s parents are extremely concerned about his behavior at home and at school. In this mock IEP, we look at John from his parents, special education teacher, administrator, general education teacher, and evaluator; to get a better picture of what is needed to help John be successful.

In 1991 the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was replaced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law was passed to provide free and appropriate public education to every child with a disability. It requires that each child with a disability “have access to the program best suited to that child’s special needs which is as close as possible to a normal child’s educational program” (Martin, 1978). The Individualized education program (IEP) was developed to help provide a written record of students’ needs and procedures for each child that receives special education services. The IEP will list all the services to be provided, the student's performance level, academic performance, and

Which is why the Individualized Education Program was created in the late 1970’s. IEP’s provide children with ASD proper personalized learning strategies they need in order to achieve academically. With this program enacted, psychologists, behavioral analysts and doctors began researching the topic of autism and studying how children with ASD learn. They slowly began coming up with effective methods of how to teach children with ASD and how to help these children learn at their highest potential. These methods included DDT, PECS and PRT which have been applied, analyzed and refined over the years to create evidence based techniques that result in the most effective ways

Early intervention is a process which involves stepping into a child’s life as soon as possible to tackle problems. ‘Early’ does not necessarily mean at an early age but in this case it refers more to the stage in the development of a child’s problems. Early intervention is important as the earlier a problem is identified; the more likely it is that the problem can be corrected before serious consequences arise, sometimes resulting in a child’s death (Mahoney 2007, p-3).

Data taken from the 1997-2008 National Health Interview Surveys of US showed that 1 out of every 6 children had developmental disabilities (Boyle et al, 2011). These disabilities were tabulated as including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other forms of developmental delay. According to the survey, these disabilities increased and now require more health and education interventions. Children aged 3-17 years old participated in the survey. Parent-respondents reported their children's diagnoses as including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, seizures, stuttering or stammering, hearing loss, blindness, learning disorders and other forms of developmental delay. These disabilities were much more prevalent in boys than in girls. They were lowest among Hispanic children as compared with non-Hispanic white and black children. Low income and public health insurance were associated with the prevalence. The rate of these disabilities increased from 12.84% to 15.94% in the last 13 years. Autism, ADHD and other developmental delays increased in all socio-demographic sub-groups, except for autism among non-Hispanic black children. The survey called for additional research on the influence of changing risk factors and changes in the acceptance and the benefits of early services (Boyle et al).

The Pre-School program for students with disabilities in Cambridge Public Schools is the Special Start program. The program provides services for preschool aged children, 3-5, who have a disability as outlined by state and federal requirements under the Individual’s with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The program is designed to service students with a variety of needs from mild to severe disabilities. The program is intentionally designed to ensure that students are educated with non-disabled peers with integrated classrooms and intensive, integrated classrooms. In addition, sub-separate classrooms are always paired in buildings with integrated classrooms in order to provide inclusive opportunities for students, as they are ready. The delivery of services is based on the intensity and need of each individual student and is determined by the student’s IEP team.

What are the benefits of implementing early intervention and RTI’s for children with early signs of a learning disability? This is a serious topic because of the increase over the years of children with learning disabilities. Instead of just placing students in special education programs educators must assess and evaluate students. As well as try early intervention programs and responsiveness to intervention known as RTI to try to delay the disability or stop the disability from forming and progressing. I have gathered articles that show the implementing of early intervention programs and RTI models to enhance children that show signs of an early learning disability. The articles all show how these programs can help students progress in

In 2010, I began working as the infant room teacher at Kids Depot. I had heard people refer to Kids Depot as a “special needs daycare” because of their affiliation with Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS). With only two years of experience as a childcare provider, I questioned my own qualifications to care for children with special needs. I walked into my new classroom and met the sweetest boy, who changed the course of my future. Gabriel was a happy, charismatic ten-month old baby with Down syndrome. In order to provide Gabriel with the best possible care, I worked closely with his parents and early interventionist (EI). Gabriel’s EI taught me how to feed him properly, help him move from the sitting to crawling position, and use simple sign language. She also showed me how to encourage him to interact with the other infants in the class. I loved every aspect of early intervention, so I decided to pursue a degree that would allow me to follow that path.

Special factors that may interfere with implementation and success of the IEP must also be discussed. Does the child’s behavior interfere with their learning or the learning of others? Does the child have language needs due to limited proficiency in English? Does the child have communication needs? Are they deaf or hard of hearing? Do they need assistive technology devices and services? If any of these factors are relevant for the child, the team must address the factor in the child’s IEP (Parent Center Hub. (n.d.)). A statement addressing each factor will be created with goals, interventions, supports, and strategies for each particular

Early intervention is intended for infants and toddlers who have a developmental delay or disability. The article “What You Need to Know About Developmental Delays” defines a developmental disability as a

Prior to attending school in Eudora, Aaron received services from the Wellsville School District. Aaron was initially evaluated for Part C in 2005- 2006 as a two year old. Due to the severity of Aaron’s speech delay, Aaron qualified for speech services. In 2006-2007 concerns continued to exist about Aaron’s academics and social skills. His IEP team recommended placement in PALS (preschool) class. The following year (2007-2008), as a four year old, Aaron’s services continued in the ECSE preschool program. At that time Occupational Therapy Services were added to work on motor skills.

Early intervention is a range of services offered by agencies that help infants with developmental delays or disabilities. These services help children who are eligible to learn basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first 3 years of life that they haven’t or aren’t being learned. Disabilities are diagnosed in 5 different areas, in cognitive, physical, communication, social/emotional, or adaptive development. These intervention programs are supported by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the requirements are also set by the OSEP. There are grants available for children in the U.S.A, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia provided by the federal government. Children who qualify for these grants can receive

Located in the United Kingdom, the Worcestershire's Early Intervention Service provides mental clinical services for clients, who are experiencing first-episode of psychosis. Particularly, as a youth-oriented service, the Worcestershire's Early Intervention Service addresses the needs of first-episode psychosis clients, who range between the ages of fourteen and thirty-five years old (Gillam, 2010, p. 30). To define the medical term of first-episode psychosis, Yale School of Medicine's article titled, What is the First Episode Psychosis?, define the mental disorder as an individual who is experiencing psychotic symptoms or a psychotic episode for the first time (Yale School of Medicine, 2015, n.p.). Furthermore, individuals who have been diagnosed