Early Intervention 

Evidence   

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561170/  

Karen M Benzies, Joyce E Magill-Evans, K Alix Hayden, and Marilyn Ballantyne  

Early interventions often target the child’s environment, which includes parents and assumes that a positive environment will subsequently improve child outcomes. The risk for developmental disorders varies by gestational age. Thus, the majority of interventions for preterm infants that involve parents are complex and include multiple components. While it is critical to understand how the intervention works, most evaluations do not explain how the key components exert their effect on parent or child outcomes.  

Education  

Early childhood intervention (ECI) is the process of providing specialised support and services for infants and young children with disability and/or developmental delay, and their families, in order to promote development, well-being and community participation.  

The role of ECI support is to assist parents and carers to:  

• Enjoy their child and family 

• Identify individual and unique strengths of the child and family 

• Help their child develop skills and abilities to participate in and enjoy daily life  

• Understand the kinds of experiences which can assist their child’s growth and development and what they can do to help  

• Increase confidence and capacity to manage and respond to their child’s support needs, increase the child’s ability to do activities they need or want to do throughout their day, increase the child’s inclusion and participation in mainstream and community settings 

Early childhood intervention services can include:  

• special education  

• therapy  

• parent education  

• planning and coordinating different services 

Why are the early years important?  

The early childhood years lay the foundation for all future development.  

Recent scientific evidence shows that early experiences literally shape our lives by affecting the way the young brain develops. What happens to us in the early years has a major effect on our health and social development right through to adulthood.  

We must try to make sure that children's early experiences are positive - that they have a secure foundation for development.  

Across Australia, funded early childhood intervention is provided through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for eligible children.  

Empowerment   

If your child needs early intervention, the first step is to speak with an 'Early Childhood Intervention Partner'. They are often professionals with experience in disability support.  

They can:  

• talk with you about which support services are best for your child  

• give you information about support services, including mainstream services like preschool  

• refer you to support services in your community  

• help you find an early childhood intervention provider or program  

• help you apply for funded early intervention through the NDIS  

You can find your nearest early childhood intervention partner through the NDIS.  

If there are no early childhood intervention partners in your area, you can start by speaking to your child's  

• doctor  

• child health nurse  

• early childhood educator 

Useful Links  

Department of Social Services - Early Childhood Intervention Services and Supports  

https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/program-services/for-people-with-disability/overview-of-early-intervention-services-and-supports  

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby  

https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/early-childhood-intervention  

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute  

https://www.mcri.edu.au/news-stories/new-guidelines-preterm-babies  

Miracle Babies Foundation  

https://www.miraclebabies.org.au/content/nicu-growth-development/gmezu8  

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