Early Intervention Program (0-5 years)

A child’s brain is more viable to change and learn before five years of age. Due to this plasticity ability, any treatment or therapy given at an early age always has a better outcome. As a result, there is a higher chance that your child will have zero gaps/delay in speech and IQ in the future. 

Amongst the children who, in the later years, got off the spectrum,
 there were a few things in common - higher IQ level, diagnosis 
and treatment from a very early stage, and better motor skills.
- Eunice Kennady Shriver National Institute

 

We have a very limited time frame where we can impart early intervention. Thus, it is not about bombarding the child with more and more academic skills alone. Beyond teaching alphabets, animals’ names, and numbers, we should think of a holistic approach involving,

  1. Communication Skills
  2. Emotional Skills
  3. Physical Skills
  4. Social Skills
  5. Thinking/comprehension Skills
  6. Play Skills
early intervention bright autism school chennai

What happens during early intervention program?

The early intervention aims to eliminate any triggers that might worsen the condition and reduce the communication and IQ level gap to almost zero. The ultimate mission of such a program is to ensure the child does not need therapy in the future. It is not about getting a head start. It is about cutting the need at its bud level.

Step 1: Eliminating triggers

At the early age of 2, most doctors do not pinpoint the proper diagnosis. In most cases, the doctor would recommend therapy and school and report it as a communication delay or a delayed milestone. The common ideology of the parents would be to wait and watch. 

It is great luck if your child grows out of it. However, amongst 12% of children diagnosed with speech delay/language between the ages of 2 and 5, 50% of them would face continued delays even in adolescence.

Thus, we start with eliminating triggers like

  • Recommendations to parents regarding reducing screen time, lone play time, and time spent on repetitive behaviors.
  • Beginning with standardized speech sound practices
  • Inducing interactions with peers and exposure to groups

Step 2: Observation tactics

A kindergarten child has an attention span of 18 minutes. We are talking about a neurotypical child with no attention or communication problems. Thus, pushing a child into therapy for hours together would do no good. But, we need persistent exposure to speech and interaction. This is where our observation tactics come to play.

The child is left to roam around in our classes (group and individual sessions). He is left to be in an environment where he is always surrounded by speech sounds, group play, movement therapy, and more. However, the child is not restricted to a location or a schedule. This helps the child understand how conversations work and get out of any anxiety/fear they have of the place.

Step 3: Self-awareness

The first step is teaching name-call responses. Then, we also start with identifying family members and their basic routines using photographs. From thereon, it is an incremental process.

For the first few months, starting with a template training process and pre-defined training materials is standard. First, however, we recommend using things the child likes, such as photographs of his surroundings and toys, to stimulate communication.

Step 4: Introducing groups

Once the child gets accustomed to the surroundings, we begin with group therapies. We often pair the child with groups with children of varying skill levels. The groups are usually in play nature with more games, visually stimulating items, and simple goals, like sucking juice through a straw, exploring new smells, and so on. Each activity would be taken at a slow pace and repeated multiple times to get the best output.

FAQs about early intervention program

Q1: When is the right time to start an early intervention program?

A: Training between the ages of 2 and 5 is called an early intervention program. However, you can begin training as soon as you diagnose the problem. Most developmental delays are identified at 18 months.

Q2: What if it turns out that my child does not have a delay?

A: None of the therapies offered at BRIGHT have side effects. If your child does not have any delay, you can always stop the therapies and go on with the usual routine. 

Q3: Will it be hard to get school admission when my child is in the program?

A: Legally, no school can restrict a child’s admission because of developmental delay or the therapies he undergoes. We also help your child get more socialized in his school environment. Most schools are happy to take up any suggestions offered by the therapists in handling the child.

Q4: Do I need a doctor’s report to join the early intervention program?

A: A doctor’s report would give us a clear idea about the child’s problems and requirements. However, it is not an essential criterion. We can assess the child, understand the gaps, and train accordingly.

Q5: What if my child crosses five years of age and still needs therapy?

A: We offer speech and language therapy, remedial education, behavior therapy, play therapy, group therapy, and occupational therapy for children of all ages. Once your child reaches five years, our approach toward your child’s development will alter, and we will begin with different sets of programs. 

Q6: How do I know if my child needs or doesn’t need therapy in the future?

A: We have a set of milestones and standards to compare your child’s development. However, the best indicators are the parents and school teachers. For example, if you and your child’s teachers believe the child has good communication and understanding skills appropriate to the child’s age, it is an excellent time to stop. 

In addition, you can also take IQ tests to understand the current gaps in development areas, communication, emotion, academic skills, etc.