The Power of Early Intervention

1
The Power of Early Intervention

• You can make a difference in the life of a child

2
Why Rock the Boat

• According to the Centers for Disease Control, 17
  of children under the age of 18 are affected by a
  developmental delay
• In a classroom of 12 preschoolers, that means 2
  children on average will experience developmental
  issues

3
What to look for

• According to the experts at Firstsigns.org, the
  following are Hallmark Developmental Milestones
• At 18 months
• Uses lots of gestures with words to get needs met
• Uses different sounds to get needs met
• Uses and understands at least 10 words
• Shows that he/she knows the name of familiar
  people or body parts by pointing to or looking at
  them when they are named
• Does simple pretend play

4
What to look for (continued)

• At 2 years
• Does pretend play with more than one action
• Uses and understands at least 50 words
• Uses at least 2 words together
• Enjoys parallel play
• Looks for familiar objects out of sight when asked

5
What to look for (continued)

• At 3 years
• Enjoys pretending to play different characters
• Enjoys playing with children of the same age
• Uses thoughts and actions together in speech and
  in play in a way that makes sense, like sleepy,
  go take nap and baby hungry, feed bottle
• Answers what, where, and who questions
  easily
• Talks about interests and feelings about the past
  and the future

6
The Hardest Part Sharing Concerns

• DO
• Set the stage for a successful conversation
• Start with the observations, questions, or
  concerns of the childs parent
• Put yourself in the parents shoes. Be
  supportive, not judgmental
• Focus on milestones, absolute indicators, and the
  need to rule out anything serious
• Refer parents and caregivers to other resources.
  Some parents need to come to this understanding
  on their own
• Emphasize the importance of early identification
  and intervention
• Be confident that sharing your concerns is always
  the right thing to do. The hardest part is
  finding the right words and getting started.

7
The Hardest Part Sharing Concerns

• Dont
• Dismiss a parents concerns
• Dont compare one child to another.
• Dont use labels, technical jargon or loaded
  terminology
• Dont scare a parent. Keep it positive. Either
  the problem will be ruled out, or the child will
  end up getting the help they need. Both are
  positive outcomes.

8
Resources

• www.Firstsigns.org
• www.cdc.gov/actearly
• www.autismspeaks.org
• www.teamjackattack.com
• www.ntaec.org