‘Early Intervention’ refers to services provided and support given to infants and young children with developmental delays and disabilities. Special Education and therapy services which include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and hydrotherapy are provided to help them acquire an array of developmental skills.
Among the Early Intervention services provided are :
- Physical skills (reaching, crawling, walking, drawing, building)
- Cognitive skills (thinking, learning, solving problems)
- Communication skills (talking, listening, understanding others)
- Self-help or adaptive skills (eating, dressing)
- Social or emotional skills (playing, interacting with others)
- Sensory processing skills (handling textures, tastes, sounds, smells)
(Source: https://www.understood.org)
At the Cerebral Palsy Association of Penang (formerly known as Persatuan Kanak-Kanak Cerebral Palsy (Spastik) Pulau Pinang/Cerebral Palsy (Spastic) Children’s Association of Penang) we incorporate the concept of Conductive Education which too emphasizes daily practical experiences such as walking, toileting, hand-functional skills, grooming, task series (physical movement), and cognitive skills. All activities are based on rhythmical intention learning methods by which the children use language and sing with action to encourage them to participate actively. All the tasks learned are analyzed and broken down into a series of smaller steps. These small steps are continuously practiced and then incorporated into entire tasks. Tasks are viewed as a teaching tool, not a set of exercises. It is the most effective way to achieve the goals. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to carry out the activities at home after observing and participating in the sessions during the classes.