Early Intervention

“Early intervention is very important, since in human capital production, early-stage investments
are critical and have dynamic impacts on human capital outcomes at the subsequent stages.
Investments in earlier stages affect the performance of students at higher grades”.
(Yamauchi,2011)
According to Dr. Futoshi Yamauchi, Senior Research Fellow in Poverty, Health, and Nutrition
Division International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), believes that making investments
in improving school quality, particularly at the beginning of the educational process, will pay off
in the long run.
Children with disabilities are supported and given assistance through early intervention and
special education programs so they can grow, learn, and develop to the best extent possible.
Early intervention places a strong emphasis on family involvement and provides infants and
toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities with specialized treatments like physical,
occupational, or speech therapy in their natural contexts. Children in preschool and school-age
programs with special needs get educational and therapeutic assistance in the least restrictive
setting.
The Impact of Early Intervention on Children with Special Needs
While it's ideal to address a developmental issue before a child turns three, early intervention is
still crucial over the following school years. For instance, a teacher who observes a student
having trouble understanding what they are reading can help that kid get the specialized aid they
require before they are "left behind" by their peers. A struggling student may have an underlying
developmental handicap, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), hearing loss, or a learning
disability, despite the best efforts of concerned parents and educators.
Early intervention in special education can enhance the language, cognitive, social, and
emotional development of children with disabilities as well as their developmental trajectories.
Additionally, it can assist families in providing for their children, advocating for services, and
gaining access to support networks. But if it happens earlier in life, intervention has a better
chance of working. The first three years of life are when a child's brain connections are most
pliable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The basis for
learning, behavior, and health is provided by these connections, which are often referred to as
neural circuits. The sooner intervention is started, the greater the possibility that a child will
reach their full potential. Over time, these linkages grow tougher to modify.
The Foundations of Early Intervention
The Philippine government, through the creation of the Early Childhood Care and Development
Council, made the first step in making an investment in early intervention programs and services
by creating a system that includes the entire spectrum of health, nutrition, early education, and
social services development projects that cater to the basic holistic needs of young children
ranging in age zero (zero) to four (four) years; and to encourage their optimized growth and
development. (RA10410, 2013) Social workers, teachers, and volunteers conduct this mostly at
the barangay day care facilities. This free program is provided by the Department of Health
(DOH) and Social Welfare and Development in collaboration with Local Government Units
(LGUs).
However, not all daycare staff members have the necessary training to manage pupils with
special needs or at the very least recognize when a student has a handicap. As a result, families
with special needs children frequently visit for-profit early intervention facilities. Although it is
true that early intervention services must be provided in the child's home context, this is not what
is happening in our nation. EI activities such developmental early intervention, speech/language
therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, nutrition counseling, social
work, and service coordination are delivered in therapy centers, preschools, special education
facilities, and even medical clinics.
Early childhood special education is emulated in the aforementioned locations for EI services
using routine-based interventions. When such interventions are carried out in the child's natural
environment, they are more effective. When teachers include developmental interventions into
their everyday routines, they are most frequently observed in early childhood centers, including
neighborhood day care centers. Due to their predictability, functionality, and frequency
throughout the day, daily routines provide young children with relevant contexts in which to
learn new abilities (Woods, Kashinath, & Goldstein, 2004). Depending on the situation and the
needs of the particular child, interventions can be included into play, caregiving, and other
activity-based routines.
Early intervention programs, especially those offered by private facilities, are significantly more
expensive to access than those offered by the ECCD system. Some therapy clinics charge up to
Php1,000.00 per hour, which makes them expensive for families with average earnings. The
ECCD council works to raise awareness about Early Intervention in the nation through meetings
and discussions with ECCD champions and national and local officials, orientation sessions with
LGU officers, provincial, city, and municipal officers, and daycare providers, distribution of
pamphlets and screenings of the locally made video "Inakay," and outreach to partners in the
business community and NGOs. (Quijano, n.d.)
Sustaining Programs
To enhance inclusive education, the Philippines has been putting numerous policies and
initiatives into place. The "Inclusive Education for Everyone" program is one such initiative that
educates educators, parents, and school administrators on how to best serve all students' needs.
The Philippines has also been striving to create laws that encourage inclusive education. The
establishment of Special Education (SPED) schools, which are created especially for pupils with
special needs, is one such policy.
Here are some examples:

 Establishment of 276 Special Education Centers nationwide

 Provision of SPED items
 Downloading of funds
  Conduct of training programs for teachers handling children with various disabilities
 Conduct of training for school heads and supervisors
 Development of instructional materials for children with disabilities
 Conduct of advocacy strategies like the SPED caravan in regions and divisions without
SPED centers or without SPED programs
 Implementation of various intervention programs, like: Early Intervention Transition
program

Typical and atypical development among children

Monitoring a child's development is useful for determining whether the child has any problems
worth being concerned about. Pediatricians assess a child's development by evaluating not only
their height and weight but also the skills they have mastered. A child's typical development will
show general growth when compared to others their same age. When a youngster looks to be
much behind or far ahead of peers their own age in any one of the several skills, this is known as
atypical development. Understanding the distinctions between typical and atypical development
is something you can learn. You can use this to find possible problems that can benefit from
early intervention.
2 MONTHS (Birth to Three Years Old)
Typical Developmental Atypical Development
Milestones (Missing or
Not Meeting Anticipated
Milestone)
SOCIAL AND Begins to smile at people Can Doesn’t smile at people
EMOTIONAL briefly calm him/herself (may
bring hands to mouth and
suck on hand)
Tries to look at parent
LANGUAGE AND Coos, makes gurgling sounds Doesn’t respond to loud
COMMUNICATION Turns head toward sounds sounds
Doesn’t smile at people
COGNITIVE Pays attention to faces Doesn’t watch things as they
(learning, thinking, Begins to follow things with move
problem-solving) eyes and recognize people at
a distance
Begins to act bored (cries,
fussy) if
activity doesn’t change
MOVEMENT AND Can hold head up and begins Doesn’t bring hands to mouth
PHYSICAL to Can’t hold head up when
DEVELOPMENT push up when lying on pushing up when on tummy
tummy
Makes smoother movements
 with arms and legs

4 MONTHS (Birth to Three Years Old)

Typical Developmental Atypical Development

Milestones (Missing or
Not Meeting Anticipated
Milestone)
SOCIAL AND Smiles spontaneously, Doesn’t smile at people
EMOTIONAL especially at people
Likes to play with people and
might cry when playing stops
Copies some movements and
facial expressions, like
smiling or frowning
LANGUAGE AND Begins to babble Doesn’t coo or make sounds
COMMUNICATION Babbles with expression and
copies sounds he/she hears
Cries in different ways to
show hunger, pain, or being
tired
COGNITIVE Lets you know if he/she is Doesn’t watch things as they
(learning, thinking, happy or sad move
problem-solving) Responds to affection Has trouble moving one or
Reaches for toy with one both
hand eyes in all directions
Uses hands and eyes together,
such as seeing a toy and
reaching for it
Follows moving things with
eyes from side to side
Watches faces closely
Recognizes familiar people
and things at a distance
MOVEMENT AND Holds head steady, Doesn’t bring things to mouth
PHYSICAL unsupported Can’t hold head up when
DEVELOPMENT Pushes down on legs when pushing up when on tummy
feet are on a hard surface Doesn’t push down with legs
May be able to roll over from when feet are placed on a
tummy to back hard surface
Can hold a toy and shake it
andswing at dangling toys
Brings hands to mouth
When lying on stomach,
pushes up to elbows
6 MONTHS (Birth to Three Years Old)

Typical Developmental Atypical Development

Milestones (Missing or
Not Meeting Anticipated
Milestone)
SOCIAL AND Knows familiar faces and Shows no affection for
EMOTIONAL begins to know if someone is caregivers
a stranger
Likes to play with others,
especially parents
Responds to other people’s
emotions and often seems
happy
Likes to look at self in a
mirror
LANGUAGE AND Responds to sounds by Doesn’t make vowel sounds
COMMUNICATION making sounds (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”)
Strings vowels together when Doesn’t laugh or make
babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”) squealing sounds
and Responds to own name
likes taking turns with parent Doesn’t respond to sounds
while making sounds around him/her
Makes sounds to show joy
and
displeasure
Begins to say consonant
sounds
(jabbering with “m,” “b”)
COGNITIVE Looks around at things Has difficulty getting things
(learning, thinking, nearby to
problem-solving) Brings things to mouth mouth
Shows curiosity about things Doesn’t try to get things that
and tries to get things that are are in reach
out of reach
Begins to pass things from
one
hand to another
MOVEMENT AND Rolls over in both directions Seems very stiff, with tight
PHYSICAL (front muscles
DEVELOPMENT to back, back to front) Seems very floppy, like a rag
Begins to sit without support doll
When standing, supports Doesn’t roll over in either
weight on legs and might direction
 bounce
Rocks back and forth,
sometimes
crawling backward before
moving
forward

9 MONTHS (Birth to Three Years Old)

Typical Developmental Atypical Development

Milestones (Missing or
Not Meeting Anticipated
Milestone)
SOCIAL AND May be afraid of strangers Doesn’t seem to recognize
EMOTIONAL May be clingy with familiar familiar people
adults
Has favorite toys
LANGUAGE AND Understands “no” Doesn’t babble (“mama,”
COMMUNICATION Makes a lot of different “baba,” “dada”)
sounds like “mamamama”
and
“bababababa”
Copies sounds and gestures
of
others
Uses fingers to point at things
COGNITIVE Watches the path of Doesn’t transfer toys from
(learning, thinking, something as it falls one
problem-solving) Looks for things he/she sees hand to another
you hide Doesn’t play any games
Plays peek-a-boo involving back-and-forth play
Puts things in their mouth Doesn’t look where you point
Moves things smoothly from Doesn’t respond to own name
one hand to another
Picks up things (like cereal
O’s between thumb and index
finger)
MOVEMENT AND Stands, holding on Doesn’t bear weight on legs
PHYSICAL Can get into sitting position with support
DEVELOPMENT Sits without support Doesn’t sit with help
Pulls to stand
Crawls
12 MONTHS | 1 Year of Age (Birth to Three Years Old)

Typical Developmental Atypical Development

Milestones (Missing or
Not Meeting Anticipated
Milestone)
SOCIAL AND Is shy or nervous with
EMOTIONAL strangers
Cries when mom or dad
leaves
Has favorite things and
people
Shows fear in some situations
Hands you a book when he
wants to hear a story
Repeats sounds or actions to
get attention
Puts out arm or leg to help
with dressing
Plays games such as “peek-
aboo” and “pat-a-cake”
LANGUAGE AND Responds to simple, spoken Doesn’t say single words like
COMMUNICATION requests “mama” or “dada”
Uses simple gestures, like Doesn’t learn gestures like
shaking head “no” or waving waving or shaking head
“byebye” Doesn’t point to things
Makes sounds with changes
in
tone (sounds more like
speech)
Says “mama” and “dada” and
exclamations like “uh-oh!”
Tries to say words you say
COGNITIVE Explores things in different Doesn’t search for things that
(learning, thinking, ways, like shaking, banging, he/she sees you hide
problem-solving) throwing
Finds hidden things easily
Looks at the right picture or
thing when it is named
Copies gestures
Starts to use things correctly;
for example, drinks from a
cup,
brushes hair
Bangs two things together
Puts things in a container,
 takes things out of a container
Lets things go without help
Pokes with index/pointer
finger
Follows simple directions like
“pick up the toy”
MOVEMENT AND Gets to a sitting position Loses skills he/she once had
PHYSICAL without help Doesn’t crawl
DEVELOPMENT Pulls up to stand, walks Can’t stand when supported
holding on to furniture
(“cruising”)
May take a few steps without
holding on
May stand alone

2 YEARS OF AGE (Birth to Three Years Old)

Typical Developmental Atypical Development

Milestones (Missing or
Not Meeting Anticipated
Milestone)
SOCIAL AND Copies others, especially Doesn’t copy actions and
EMOTIONAL adults and older children words
Gets excited when with other Loses skills he/she once had
children
Shows more and more
independence
Shows defiant behavior
(doing
what he/she has been told not
to)
Plays mainly beside other
children, but is beginning to
include other children, such
as in chase games
LANGUAGE AND Points to things or pictures Doesn’t use 2-word phrases
COMMUNICATION when they are named (for example: “drink milk”)
Knows names of familiar Doesn’t follow simple
people and body parts instructions
Says sentences with two to
four words
Follows simple instructions
Repeats words overheard in
conversation
Points to things in a book
 COGNITIVE Finds things even when Doesn’t search for things that
(learning, thinking, hidden under two and three he/she sees you hide
problem-solving) covers Doesn’t know what to do
Begins to sort shapes and with
colors common things, like brush,
Completes sentences and phone, fork, spoon
rhymes
in familiar books
Plays simple make-believe
games
Builds towers of four or more
blocks
Might use one hand more
than
the other
MOVEMENT AND Stands on tiptoe Doesn’t walk steadily
PHYSICAL Kicks a ball
DEVELOPMENT Begins to run
Climbs onto and down from
furniture without help
Walks up and down stairs
holding on
Throws ball overhand
Makes or copies straight lines
and circles

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