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Early intervention - when and if so, how?
Encourage children with developmental disabilities early
Early intervention includes diagnostics, therapy and counseling of parents
Children who develop slowly, who have a disability or who suffer from a chronic illness need special support. This is where early intervention comes in. As the name suggests, it should begin as early as possible, because many things can be positively influenced in early childhood development. In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are support services for children close to home.
The target group for early intervention is babies and children of preschool age. Early detection of a (threatening) developmental delay or disability can help prevent or at least mitigate a lifelong impairment. Aids such as language support, vision school, movement or occupational therapy are part of the long catalog of possible therapeutic aids.
As a parent, you observe your child's development very closely. Mothers and fathers are often very sensitive to any abnormalities. If you are worried, it is advisable to go to the pediatrician to have your observations clarified at an early stage. Early intervention can be helpful for
, for example.
Children who develop little drive of their own to discover the world.
Children who are predominantly preoccupied with themselves and rarely make contact with other children or adults on their own.
Children who have motor problems, for example, with simple movements, grasping, handling objects.
Children who are excessively angry or defiant or predominantly aggressive.
Children who have great difficulty focusing their attention on a game or thing.
Children who are constantly in motion and action, demanding undivided attention and thus overwhelming their parents and environment.
Children who do not learn to speak properly.
Children with mental, motor, visual and hearing impairments or disabilities, with speech and language disorders, with physical malformations or genetic developmental disorders.
Early intervention is also helpful as a preventive measure, for example, in the event of premature birth, after birth problems, in the event of special illnesses or after an accident.
The first point of contact for parents is the pediatrician's office. At the latest during the preventive checkups, your pediatrician will determine whether your child is developing according to age and to what extent he or she may need support. Depending on what form of early intervention is indicated, therapeutic professionals may be involved. The practice will provide you with information and recommendations about which appropriate agencies to contact.
The measures often take place on an outpatient basis in early intervention centers. These have the advantage that they offer a wide range of support. The interdisciplinary teams include experts from fields such as medicine, special education, psychology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy and social work. With its holistic approach, early intervention involves the children's environment. It is important to consider whether and how, in addition to parents, older siblings, grandparents, educators, daycare parents and other suitable persons can become involved. The goal is to find meaningful perspectives for everyday life.
Where no early intervention center can be used, mobile early intervention is offered. It comes to the home, if necessary to the childminder or to the daycare center. On the website www.frühförderstellen.de you can find the facilities active in North Rhine-Westphalia.
If the pediatrician's office prescribes the treatment, early intervention for your child is free of charge for you. The costs are borne by the statutory health insurance funds, or, if applicable, the social welfare offices. If the care required for an affected child is significantly higher than that for a healthy child, educators can apply for care allowance from the health insurance fund.
More informationLinks for further reading
For detailed information about early intervention, visit the website of the Association for Interdisciplinary Early Intervention VIFF.
You can also find out about support for problems identified at an early stage on the Kindergesundheit-Info portal of the Federal Centre for Health Education BZgA.
The Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe is responsible for early intervention services for children with disabilities in Westfalen-Lippe. Special schools are available in the areas of vision, hearing and communication, physical and motor development, and language (secondary level I). Information and contact addresses can be found on the website.
The Landschaftsverband Rheinland has also established special schools in 5 areas: vision, hearing and communication, language (for Sek I), physical and motor development and emotional/social development. Again, you can find a lot of information and contact addresses on the website.
The brochure of the Competence Centers for Self-Determined Living in NRW (KSL) provides an overview of various support options and services for children and parents in the event of developmental abnormalities, chronic diseases or impairments.
