HMEC5323

Early Ms. Nagasangari

Intervention: Email:
Theory & Practice nagasratnam@yahoo.
com

Seminar 1 Contact number:

012 6655071
(WhatsApp only)
Overview
 Introduction
to the course
 Background on early intervention
 Definition
 Eligibility
 Legislation
 Concepts
 Components
 Introduction to the course
 This course looks into a critical issue that involves children
with special needs. A diverse array of experts discusses
key aspects of policies, laws, rights, programs, and
services available to children today.
 This course will give students the opportunities to extend
understanding of appropriate responses to the diverse
needs of young children in early childhood practice.
 Students will be able to integrate knowledge of child
developmental processes and early childhood curriculum
into a framework focusing on the developmental, interactive
and educational needs of young children who experience
disability or difference.
 Both theory and research based practice will be explored,
as well the needs of families and how these intersect
through social policy, service provision, early intervention
and inclusive education.
 Course outline
No Topic
1 What is early intervention?
 The definition
 Who’s eligible for early intervention?
 The legislation
2 What is early intervention?
 Six concepts of early intervention
 Six components of early intervention
3 The child’s way: Everyday learning and development
 Understanding the diverse needs of children
 How and what do infants and toddlers learn?
4 The child, important people and particular places
 Early intervention assessment
 The trouble with traditional tests and recommended approaches
5 A partnership learning together
 Family-professional partnerships: Keys to collaboration.
 Where intervention visits occur
 Natural learning strategies
Course outline
No Topic
6 A partnership learning together
 Child participation and engagement strategies
 Family competence
 Are interventions working?
7 Inclusive education
 Introduction
 Historical development and legislation
 Definitions and models
8 Rationale for inclusive education
 Enabling inclusion
 Concerns and challenges of inclusion
9 Implementing inclusive programmes
 Developmental-behavioral approach
 Learning environment
 Facilitation of skills
10 Joining the community
 Routine activities in the community
 Kinds of community activities
 A community for all children
 Main references
 Allen,E.K. & Cowdery, G.E. (2015). The
exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood
education (8th ed.). Stamford, USA: Cengage
Learning.

 Keilty,
B. (2010). The early intervention
guidebook for families and professionals.
New York, USA: Teachers College Press.
Additional references
 Eidelman, S., Maude, S. Groark, C. & Kaczmarek, L.
(2011). Early childhood intervention: Shaping the
future for children with special needs and their
families. California, USA: Praeger.
 Kirk, S.A., Gallagher, J.J. & Coleman, M.R. (2015).
Educating exceptional children (14th ed.). Stamford,
USA: Cengage Learning.
 Nutbrown, C. & Clough, P. (2013). Inclusion in the
early years (2nd ed.). London, UK: Sage Publications
Ltd.
 Tarbox, J., Dixon, D.R., Sturmey, P. & Matson, J.L.
(2014). Handbook of early intervention for Autism
Spectrum Disorders: Research, policy, and practice.
New York, USA: Springer.
Background
on early
intervention
- Definition
- Eligibility
- Legislation
- Concepts
- Components
 Reflective Activity
 What do you understand by the term ‘early
intervention’?
 Who is eligible for early intervention?

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/childrens-services-blog/2010/11/scotland-prioritises-early-years-investment/
Definition of early intervention (EI)
 EI is best conceptualised as a system designed to
support family patterns of interaction that best
promote children's development.
 'Early intervention' can be taken to mean either:
 action taken early in life.
 action taken early in the onset or at the diagnosis of
an impairment.
 ...the large majority of early intervention activity is
initiated during the first three years of life.

(Guralnick, 2005)
Definition of EI
 EI is for families whose
children’s development is
different from what is
expected for their age.
 It is also for families whose
infant and toddler has
certain characteristics that
make them at risk for
developmental differences.
(Keilty, 2010).
https://www2.monroecounty.gov/hd-ei-
home
Definition of EI
 EIconsists of sustained
and systematic efforts to
provide support to the
family, caregivers and child
to promote optimal
development for children
with disabilities during
early childhood years.
(Kirk, Gallagher & Coleman,
2015)
https://www.lblesd.k12.or.us/ei-
ecse/early-intervention-services/
Who’s eligible for EI?
 Families are eligible for EI when their child
is identified with:
a developmental delay
 an established condition
 risk factors that increase the likelihood of a
developmental delay or disability (biological,
medical, premature birth, family
circumstances)
(Keilty, 2010)
What’s a developmental delay?
 Term“developmental delay” is important in EI - it
means that a child who is experiencing
developmental delays as measured by
appropriate diagnostic instruments and
procedures in one or more of the following areas:
 Cognitive development
 Physical development, including vision and hearing
 Communication development
 Social or emotional development
 Adaptive development
What’s a developmental delay?

Developmental milestones
 Think of all the baby skills that can fall
under any one of those developmental
areas.
 Babies and toddlers have a lot of new
skills to learn, so it’s always of concern
when a child’s development seems slow
or more difficult than would normally be
expected.
What’s a developmental delay?
 Early intervention services are tailored to meet a
child’s individual needs and, as such, are a very
important resource to children experiencing
developmental delays.
 Early intervention services can include:
 Assistive technology (devices a child might need)
 Audiology or hearing services
 Speech and language services
 Counseling and training for a family
 Medical services
 Nutrition services
 Occupational therapy
 Physical therapy
 Psychological services
Legislation on EI (US)
 Began in 1968 with Handicapped Children’s Early
Education Assistance Act.
 Today, the needs of young children are addressed in
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act (IDEA) 2004.
 States must develop comprehensive, coordinated,
multidisciplinary EI systems.
 EI should be provided to the maximum extent possible,
in natural environments or settings that are typical for
children who do not have disabilities.
 All preschool-age children with disabilities receive
special education and related services.
IDEA 2004
 Part C Guidelines:
 Individuals to be served – infants/toddlers with
developmental disabilities or at risk of delays.
 Labeling no longer required.
 Individualised family service plan (IFSP).
 Related services
 Least restrictive environment (inclusion concept)

Quality of life recognition:

EI is the best way to improve the well-being of
young children with developmental disabilities
and their families.
Reflective Activity
 Why it is inappropriate to label a young child
as mentally handicapped or emotionally
disturbed?
 Why is it sometimes necessary to label a
young child as
mentally handicapped
or emotionally
disturbed?
Why it is inappropriate to label a
young child?
 Most child developmentalists argue against categorizing,
especially for young children - children are changing so
rapidly during early years – more harm than good comes
from prematurely labeling a child. For eg, it can lower
child’s self-esteem.
 There is an almost inevitable tendency on the part of the
parent to diminish expectations and to assume the child will
be incapable of learning various material, much of which is,
in fact, well within his or her potential.
 These kinds of diminished expectations occur also in the
classroom. When a teacher has been told that a particular
child is a slow learner, he/she is more likely to accept a
lower standard of work from that child than would have
been the case had the label not been applied.
Children with
disabilities in
Malaysia
(2012)
Policies & Laws (Malaysia)
 2008 – Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act.
 2010 – Ratified the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
 The rights of children with disabilities to care,
protection and development are subsumed primarily
within the Child Act 2001 and PWD Act.
 National stakeholders:
 Department of Social Welfare (DSW)
 Ministry of Women, Family & Community (MWFCD)
 MOH
 MOE
Policies & Laws (Malaysia)
Policies & Laws (Malaysia)
Malaysia is a signatory of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) - Adopted by the UN General
Assembly in 1989.
Article 23 - children with disabilities have
rights & asks State Parties to ensure that a
child with a disability "has access to &
receives education ...... in a manner
conducive to the child achieving the fullest
possible social integration & individual
development."
Policies & Laws (Malaysia)
Article 28 - Specifically defines education as
a right for all children including those with
disabilities & stipulates that States Parties
should make primary education compulsory
& available free to all & on the basis of equal
opportunity.
Article 29 - Emphasizes that education
should be directed to the development of
child's personality, talents, mental & physical
abilities to their fullest potential.
UNESCO Biwako Millenium
Framework for Action (2003)
 Endorsed by Malaysia identified 3 main
aims for EI and education:
 6 Concepts of EI
Children learn and develop
using their curiosity, active
discovery and genuine
excitement in the everyday
experiences that occur in their
family and community.
Children learn
Children are through the kinds of
part of a family. interactions they have
with others and the
objects they have to
explore.

Families and
communities There are multiple
provide many resources available for
learning families but accessing EI is just the
opportunities for and keeping them beginning.
young children. straight will require
coordination.
6 Components of EI

Enrollment

Transition
Assessment

Intervention Intervention
Visits
Planning

Service
Coordination
Goals of EI
 Providing support for children with special needs and
their families early in childhood.
 Help families set a positive course for their child’s
development (Keilty, 2010).
 Prevent problems such as deteriorating health, family
stress and breakdown, children potentially being
placed in care, and deteriorating emotional and social
development (DfES, 2007).
 Lessens developmental impact, reduces secondary
disabilities and enables families to function (Carpenter,
2005).
 Promote children's coping confidence and prevent the
emergence of future problems.
 Qualities of effective EI
 An effective EI program should:
 Be based on a child developmental framework.
 Take a systems perspective, in which all aspects relate
and are fully integrated.
 Be evidence-based.
 Be personalised.
 Be child- and family-centred and participative.
 Value families and professionals.
 Work to shared agenda and shared goals.
 Be proactive in identifying risks and concerns.
 Be overviewed, monitored and evaluated with
opportunities for child/family feedback.
 Accommodate cultural differences.
(Guralnick, 2005; 2007; Newman et al, 2010)
EIP in Malaysia
1987 – First early intervention centre in Malaysia
established.
Initiated by Malaysian Care, a non-governmental
organization (NGO), with the help of Dr. Robert
Deller, a child psychologist from Britain.
Dr Deller was on a 4 year contract to help:
Develop services for people with disabilities.
Set up the centre.
Train their staff to run the early intervention
program.
EIP in Malaysia
A services of Robert Deller was made available to
another voluntary organization - Selangor
Association for Retarded Children (SARC).
January 1988 - he helped them set up the first
centre-based EIP for pre-school mentally
handicapped children in Malaysia.
This program was based in the main school known
as Wisma Harapan in Kuala Lumpur.
The program commenced with 16 children &
presently caters for more than 60 children of all ages
(EI & Vocational) & disability.
PowerPoint® Slides
By K. Nagasangari
EIP in Malaysia
1989 - members of a service club - Kiwanis Club of KL
were interested to sponsor a community project,
approached Malaysian Care for help.
As a result, a 2nd early intervention centre was set up
in September 1989 for pre-school children with
learning disabilities, also under the guidance from
Deller.
The Kiwanis centre which began with 1 teacher & one
clerk commenced the program with 15 children.
Today, Kiwanis has more than 120 children with more
than 10 teachers & 6 branches.
PowerPoint® Slides
By K. Nagasangari
EIP in Malaysia
At around the same time, 3 other special schools in
various parts of Malaysia also started their own EIPs
with some assistance from Deller:
Pusat Kanak-Kanak Cacat Akal in Penang
Sekolah Semangat Maju in Ipoh
Bethany Home in Teluk Intan
All these services in various parts of Malaysia are run
by voluntary agencies & are independent.
They raise their own funds which come mainly from
public donations & through fundraising events.
PowerPoint® Slides
By K. Nagasangari
Reflective Activity
What are the basic problems or issues
of running an early intervention centre
in Malaysia?
Basic problems/issues
The basic problems/issues of running EI
centre’s:
Lack of resources
Lack of trained staff
Lack of financial support from
Government
NGOs rely largely on donations &
volunteers to keep the centre’s going.
The long waiting list is not unusual as
the number of special needs children
continues to rise.
Video Presentation
EIP centre’s in Malaysia
 Spices
 Taarana
Putting EI into practice
Assume that you are about to start an
EIP:
 Identify
the key elements of EI, and draw
up a plan, including specific actions, of
how you could apply them for the families
and young children you work with.
Conclusion
EI is a dynamic field focused on the
enhancement of a child's abilities, development
and support of a child's family to adapt to their
child's ongoing needs.
Issues are complex - demanding a commitment
by early childhood interventionists to build
comprehensive coordinated services.
Systems must be flexible, responsive & family-
centered - to provide the best start possible to
young children with disabilities.
PowerPoint® Slides
By K. Nagasangari
 References
 Allen, E.K. & Cowdery, G.E. (2015). The
exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood
education (8th ed.). Stamford, USA: Cengage
Learning.
 Carpenter, B. (2005). Real prospects for early
childhood intervention: Family aspirations and
professional implications. In Carpenter, B. and
Egerton, J. (eds) Early childhood intervention:
International perspectives, national initiatives and
regional practice, Coventry: West Midlands SEN
Regional Partnership.
 Department for Education and Skills (DfES). (2007).
Aiming high for disabled children: Better support for
families. London: HM Treasury.
 References
 Guralnick, M.J. (2005). Early intervention for children
with intellectual disabilities: Current knowledge and
future prospects. Journal of Applied Research in
Intellectual Disabilities, 18 (4), 313-324.
 Guralnick, M.J. (2007). Future directions in early
intervention. Paper to the second International
Society on Early Intervention (14-16 June).
 Keilty, B. (2010). The early intervention guidebook for
families and professionals. New York, USA: Teachers
College Press.
 References
 Kirk, S.A., Gallagher, J.J. & Coleman, M.R. (2015).
Educating exceptional children (14th ed.). Stamford,
USA: Cengage Learning.
 Newman, T., McEwen, J., Mackin, H. & Slowley, M.
(2010). Improving the wellbeing of disabled children
(up to Age 8) and their families through increasing the
quality and range of early years interventions,
London: Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in
Children and Young People's Services (C4EO).