Early Intervention focuses on the needs of your child and family 

Each specialist on the team gets to know the child so they can identify important skills to work on.  The specialists and the family decide on goals for the child to work on together.

Depending on the child’s needs, only one professional, the primary provider, may come into the home to work on the child’s goals and give advice from

the other team members. This may or may not be an OT.  All team members keep in touch with the primary provider to give them suggestions about the child’s treatment.

One of the goals of early intervention is to help the family meet the special needs of their child.  The OT supports the family by teaching them about typical development and the development of their child.  They also suggest play activities to do at home. It is important for the family to participate in therapy sessions so that they can practice new skills with the OT and use 

them in their daily routines. 

Around the age of 3, the child will finish with early intervention services. The team works with the family to decide what programs and services are best for the child.  Many times, the OT meets together with the family and the local school to talk about the child’s options now that they are of pre-school age.

References

• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (2012).  Overview of early intervention.  Retrieved from:  http://nichcy.org/babies/overview
• Opp, A. (2009).  Occupational therapy intervention: helping children succeed.  Retrieved from:  http://www.aota.org/Consumers/Professionals/WhatIsOT/CY/Articles/40021.aspx

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