Early Intervention is about identifying, assessing, and providing supports for children who need a little extra help to live happy, healthy and successful lives. We know that the earlier we can identify challenges and introduce supports for those children, the more prepared they will be for kindergarten and possibly reduce the need for special education interventions when they arrive at public school.
Opportunity School provides developmental, speech, hearing and vision screeners to the children enrolled in our programs to help identify when a child is in need of those services and supports. When screeners are completed, we look for what we call “red flags” or warning signs that a child might need some intervention. Parents, family members and teachers might also share observations that indicates a red flag and requires additional screening and investigation.
Since we know that 80% of our brains are wired by the time we are 5 years old, we want to get children the services and supports they need early on to help them thrive. The earlier the intervention starts, the better the chance of wiring the brain correctly. It’s hard to break old habits!
Families who feel their child need supports should start by first talking to their pediatrician about their concerns. They can request a referral to a local therapy agency or other resources that would be appropriate. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is also available in every county in Texas for infants and toddlers ages 0-3. The best part about ECI is that anyone can refer.