Early Intervention, What Services hold Promise? – Kelly Semple

 

Early intervention is a way of providing services for children.  These services assist in cognitive development, physical development, language and speech development, psychosocial development, and self-help skills.  The truth is that some effects are inevitable but it’s unrealistic to believe that they cannot be improved upon.  Society unfortunately has a tainted opinion of services whether it is for our children or for our self. Regardless of the professed idea of a more diverse world, people still endure judgments.  That being said, I am a true advocate for any type of services that is going to teach, help or explain life just a little better and the earlier the better.  The problems child face are overwhelming from; the need to achieve, bullying, peer pressure, socioeconomic status, and divorce.  It is almost as if society is attempt to make them grow up to quick.

                “No man is an island”.  Everyone at some time will need assistance, just in transitioning from elementary to middle school, the work load changes, children begin forming “clicks”, and they form self-confidence and start to have achievements.  It is here that we rely on the system, but without early intervention there is no system.  Transition for students is an ongoing experience, from one grade to another, one school to another, from school to work.  Early intervention exposes the importance of experience from the responsibility for chores within the home later provides a foundation for adult work in the community (Jimenea & Graf, 2008).  Early Intervention is presenting a task and having a child attempt to complete it, in a step by step process.  If a problem arises in the process it is acknowledge and services are provided to assist the child, so that they may adapt.  Response to Intervention is a way of building a child’s self-awareness, self-confidence, adaptive thinking and organizational skills.  In the education system with a constant, continual support system and services any child can progress.

                In the end, what services hold promise should not be the question, it should be how we can build a support system through collaboration, how can we develop a more involved community, how can we support our educators (the ones in the trenches), how can successfully identify the services needs in the time constraints, reducing of personnel and increase workloads in the classrooms.  Early intervention in crucial in education, helping children develop better organizational techniques, problem solving and coping skills would just be the tip on the iceberg.