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Addressing At-Risk Children With Early Intervention Technique Within The Classroom

19th May 2023

Early intervention refers to the process of identifying children who are at risk of developmental or behavioral problems and providing them with appropriate support and services to address those issues before they become more severe. This can involve a range of interventions, from screening and assessment to targeted interventions such as therapy or educational programs.

Early Intervention For Children At-Risk

Effective early intervention is meant to prevent such problems from occurring or tackle them head-on before things get worse. The intervention strategies also foster a set of personal strengths and skills that will prepare the child for adult life. The delays in at-risk include issues in:
 

• Speech delays
• Feeding problems
• Sensory issues
• Limited concentration
• Short attention span
• Early dyslexia signs
• Inability to cope with academics
• Writing delays

To diagnose these conditions a development assessment is required and once the diagnosis is done an intervention plan can be made. Such plans can address developmental delays and mitigate both disabilities and handicaps. If these plans are introduced early, some developmental milestones can still be achieved.

Scope Of Early Intervention
 

  Source: eif.org.uk

Some of the key areas where early intervention can be effective include:
 

• Cognitive Development
  
  Early intervention can help identify children who may be at risk for cognitive delays or disabilities and provide them with targeted support to improve their development. This can include activities that stimulate the child's brain, such as reading, playing, and engaging in interactive activities that help develop cognitive skills.
   
• Language And Communication
  
  Children who struggle with language and communication skills may benefit from early intervention programs, which can provide speech and language therapy, communication aids, and other interventions that help improve communication and language skills.
   
• Emotional And Behavioral Issues
  
  Early intervention can also help address emotional and behavioral issues that can impact a child's development and well-being. This can include therapy, counseling, and other interventions that help children develop positive coping mechanisms and strategies for managing their emotions and behaviors.
   
• Physical Health
  
  Early intervention can also help identify children who may be at risk for physical health issues, such as hearing or vision problems, and provide them with appropriate support and services to address those issues before they become more severe.
   
• Social Development
  
  Early intervention can help children develop social skills and improve their ability to interact with others. This can include social skills training, peer groups, and other interventions that help children learn to navigate social situations and build positive relationships.

Strategies For Early Intervention

 Some techniques that can help your at-risk children are:
 

• Classroom Accommodations
  
  These are the best practices to find and use quality learning modalities to suit at-risk children during their learning processes. Accommodations can be offered in the form of:
  
  > Using tape recorders
  > Building a quiet environment for taking tests
  > Allowing extended time fame for exams and tests
  > Preferential seating
   
• Compensatory Strategies

  These strategies aim at strengthening and building skills to acquire learning and they include:
  
  > Using mnemonics devices for memorizing vocabulary
  > Color coding to match subject pronouns
  > Creating semantic maps
  > Organizing ideas for the writing process
  > Taking dictation to reinforce spelling, syllabic rules, and pronunciation
   

• Remediation

  This is frequently employed to develop phonemic awareness and some techniques include:

  > Developing phonological awareness of every diphthong, sound, and blend
  > Learning an alphabet
  > Learning to sound out words
  > Learning spelling rules
  > Learning relationships between letters and sounds

Benefits Of Early Intervention For Children And Families
 

  Source: eif.org.uk

Some of the noted benefits of early intervention practices involve:
 

1. The Earlier The Better

   One of the key benefits of early intervention is that it can help identify issues early on before they become more severe and difficult to treat. It can also help prevent more severe issues from developing.

   For example, if a child is struggling with language and communication skills, early intervention can provide speech therapy and other interventions to help improve those skills before they become a significant barrier to learning and development.
    

2. Support For Families

   Another key benefit of early intervention is that it can help improve outcomes for children and families. By providing targeted support and services, early intervention can help children develop the skills and abilities they need to succeed in school and life. This can lead to improved academic performance, better social relationships, and improved overall well-being.

   In order to be effective, early intervention programs must be tailored to the specific needs of each child and family. This requires a comprehensive approach that involves screening and assessment, individualized interventions, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the interventions are effective.
    

3. Provide Appropriate Support And Resources
   
   Early intervention can also involve collaboration between multiple stakeholders, including parents, healthcare providers, educators, and community organizations. By working together, these stakeholders can provide a comprehensive system of support and services that meets the unique needs of each child and family.

Make Learning Fun

Early intervention will allow families and caretakers to support their children in their daily activities. Facilitators who have undergone Online Special Education Courses can identify the conditions correctly and provide accurate information to offer a lot of learning opportunities. They also break learning into small steps to foster greater understanding and retention of information. If you also want to be more than just a teacher and make a difference in the lives of your students, your time is now!

Written By: Sheetal Sharma