Early Intervention
What is early intervention?
Children grow and develop in their own unique ways, however some children experience delays in their development. In South Carolina, children with developmental delays and disabilities benefit from a state supported collaboration among parents, service providers, and other agencies that work with children needing special services. Early intervention builds on the natural learning opportunities that occur during the daily routines of a child and their family.
Early Intervention Services
Services include, but are not limited to, the following:
Special instruction/family training
Nursing services
Social work services
Nutrition services
Assistive technology devices and services
Physical therapy (PT)
Occupational therapy (OT)
Speech pathology (SLP)
What Early Intervention does…
Provide families with independence
Respects individual family’s strengths, values, and diversity
Supports services and resources for children that enhance daily opportunities for learning
Provides visits in settings where a child would be if he/she did not have developmental delay/disabilities
Empowering families
Early intervention further provides an opportunity to assist and empower families to meet their child’s needs as well as the needs of the family. An Early Interventionist (EI) offers parents and caregivers an opportunity to have a family-focused service to assist their child from ages birth to six. Children and families are entitled to these services, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income.
Early Intervention supports and services are designed to meet developmental needs of children with a disability as well as the needs of the family related to enhancing the child’s development in the following ways:
1. Physical development, including vision and hearing
2. Cognitive development
3. Social or emotional development
4. Adaptive development
