Let’s talk about the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How’s of Early intervention. Let’s do it in this order, though.
Early Intervention can address any of the following developmental areas
Early Intervention is the help that kids need when they have a developmental delay or disability as a young child. When a child is lacking skills that are typically age appropriate, Early Intervention can support the development of the skills they need to progress.
Early Intervention is typically for kids ages 0-6 years old. Basically, until a child is in kindergarten. If a child has any delays in the areas listed in the above section, they should receive Early Intervention.
I’ll talk more about this in the ‘Where’ section, but a child may have delays, but if it’s not significant enough, they may not qualify for state services. This does not mean that the child does not need Early Intervention.
If you, as a parent or educator have concerns about a child’s development, there are things you can do to help the child, whether or not they qualify for state services.
Think of all the things that a child learns between the ages of 0-6. The brain is growing at such a high rate during the first 6 years of life. We want to take advantage of that.
Kids will have a natural progression, but if we are able to add to it with methods and techniques that will help them grow in the right direction, then let’s do it!
I’ll be honest, before I started working in Early Intervention and Preschool, I had no idea that it was important. I was used to working with adults, I had never looked into Early Intervention before. I think a lot of people are in the same boat, if they’ve never had a need, then they never had a reason to look into it.
The more we put into the early education of our kids with special needs, the less they will need as they get older. It doesn’t mean that they won’t need anything as they get older, but they will need less because they will gain valuable skills at a younger age that they can take with them.
Ok, if you’re reading this and you’re not sure whether or not your child has a developmental delay, you can still learn techniques to help your child. The fact that you’re reading this post means you probably have some concerns. Don’t discount your feelings and intuition. Some doctors will say “wait it out” and I’m going to say “don’t.”
Now, if you’re a parent with a child older than 6 and didn’t have the opportunity to get Early Intervention. That’s ok! Don’t get hung up on it. You can start today and go forward, knowing that you always have and always will want the best for your child. As I said earlier, a child’s brain is developing rapidly before the age of 6, but that obviously doesn’t mean all development stops as they get older. There’s still plenty room to learn and grow!
I kind of already talked about this, but a child should receive Early Intervention before the age of 6.
By law, if your child qualifies for early intervention services, you will receive it for free within your state if you are living in the United States. If you are having concerns about your child’s development, you can go to the CDC’s website to find out who to contact in your area. Sometimes there’s a wait to get in for an appointment, so the earlier you do it, the better.
Schools are great, and I loved teaching in the school setting. There are always going to be limits, no matter how much you wish there weren’t. Schools need to show that they are giving a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), they do not need to show that they are performing miracles.
Services will most likely look different wherever you are vs. where I am, and 0-3 services will also be different than 3-6 services. Some may be in home, and others may be in a class. There will be times when you may want more intervention or therapies for your child, and that’s great. That’s when programs like mine come into play.
The other thing to know about state services is that in order to qualify (depending on the state), a child may need a specific diagnosis or to do testing with Early Intervention. For example, in Utah where I live, a child has to score in the 7th percentile or below in one or more domains of the test.
Well, what if you’re on a 6 month waiting list to get a diagnosis? Or what if your child scores in the 10th percentile? Then what? My recommendation would be to seek out private services to help your child. You can find different therapists to help, and in certain areas of development, you can get parent training to help you implement it in the home.
There are a lot of therapies out there, and it can be overwhelming and confusing. I have had the opportunity to work with some incredible professionals offering a variety of interventions, and I honestly feel that all kids are so different, and their needs are different regardless of the diagnosis, that you have to find out what will work for you.
Here is a list of some of my preferred types of intervention.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of waiting lists out there for Early Intervention services. The first step is always to get on them—but I know how frustrating it can feel to wait while your child could be gaining skills right now.
Hearing parents express that frustration inspired me to think about ways I could help immediately. That’s one of the reasons I created the resources on this website. The Early Intervention tutorials at playwithjoy.com/shop give you practical, hands-on strategies that you can start using today—no waiting required.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or therapist, these tutorials are designed to help children build skills in communication, play, regulation, motor development, social interaction, and daily routines—all in ways that feel natural and fun.
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