Early intervention services are offered in the US for young children before they start school. However, these early intervention services are only provided after an evaluation.
This evaluation of the child’s present skill level determines whether they are eligible for early intervention services. If your child does not qualify for these services, then there are still some steps that you can take to ensure that your child receives early intervention.
Importance Of Early Intervention
Early intervention services are beneficial for children with developmental disabilities. The evaluation process helps the early intervention team identify if the child may experience learning difficulties before they even enter school.
The primary purpose of early intervention is to make sure these developmental disabilities are overcome. These services are designed to help little children with learning disabilities gain the necessary skills to be ready for school so that they do not lag behind their peers once they start going to school.
How To Get Early Intervention Services
Don’t worry if your child does not qualify for early intervention services based on their evaluation report. As the parent, if you still feel that your child will benefit from these services, then you can take the following steps:
- Ask for a re-evaluation and make sure that your child is evaluated in an unbiased manner.
- If you still disagree with the results, you can get a second opinion by requesting an evaluation from an external agency.
- You can ask the early intervention team for a follow-up session in which you can convince them to reconsider their decision so that your child receives these services.
After all, no one can watch out for your child’s best interests better than you, so make sure you use all of the options available to you.
What Parents Can Do At Home
Aside from early intervention services, there are also some activities you can do at home to prepare your child for school. These activities are fun and allow your child to learn even while they play.
These preschool activities encourage children to start learning how to read, and they also encourage children to begin interacting with other people. These two skills are necessary for every child to develop before kindergarten so that they can perform well when they actually begin going to school.
Concluding Thoughts
Early intervention services help children overcome learning difficulties before they even enter school. If your child does not qualify for them, you can still get a re-evaluation done to try to make sure your child gets all the help they need before starting school.