Early Intervention
Children develop at their own pace. Some children walk and talk early or on time, but others are delayed in learning age-appropriate skills, like speech. If you have any concerns about your child’s speech, motor or cognitive development, the earlier you seek the better outcome it is for your child. Speech-language pathologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists help your child develop skills including:
- cognitive skills (e.g., thinking, learning, problem-solving)
- communication skills (e.g., gesturing, talking, listening, understanding)
- physical and sensory skills (e.g., crawling, walking, climbing, seeing, hearing)
- social–emotional skills (e.g., playing, understanding feelings, making friends)
- adaptive or self-help skills (e.g., eating, bathing, dressing).
Early intervention is different for each child and family depending on your child’s needs and your family’s priorities. Early speech, language, physical and occupational intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships.
A lot happens developmentally in the first few years of life and the most important step is to START EARLY!
(Source: ASHA Research)