Early Intervention for Ages 0 – 7 years

When children are little, their brain are growing fast. Children are required to learn skills fast to merge in with society norms and expectations. They learn how to communicate with a range of verbal and non-verbal cues, are trying to figure out how to cope with a range of emotions, there is different stages such as sitting, walking, toileting and separating from parents to go to childcare or kindergarten. Together families are adapting. Learning how to eat together, to play together, learning when to have quiet time and play along and when to play together. All these stages require different skills. At any stage, children and families can find themselves feeling lost and unable to cope. Well, it takes a village to raise a child and at Moi Clinic we are honored to be a part of many families’ village during the early years of a child’s life when things get a bit tricky.

What is Early Childhood Intervention?

It takes a Village to raise a child.

Early Intervention provides tailored therapeutic support to children from ages 0 to 7 years. Services focus on your child and family’s needs and can be provided in a range of ways such as in the home, childcare, community or in a clinic. At Moi Clinic your child is provided with one practitioner under a Key Worker model. This means your practitioner collaborates with speech therapist, occupational therapist, psychologists, physiotherapist, and special education teachers who all work together to meet the goals of therapy for your child.

The Benefits of Early Childhood Intervention

The aim of early childhood intervention is to increase the child’s functioning and prevent or minimize physical, cognitive, emotional difficulties. Sometimes children who receive early intervention will need less therapeutic support over time. Early Intervention focuses on a range of areas:

Physical

• Gross motor skills
• Fine motor skills such as drawing
• Daily functioning that requires body movements such as putting on clothes and going to the toilet.
• Eating appropriately for their age

Cognitive Development

• Staying on task
• Transitioning between tasks
• Communication and language
• Following instructions
• Concentration

Social and Emotional Development

• Understanding emotions
• Self-regulation of emotions
• Forming relationships with others
• Able to play

Accessing NDIS for Early Intervention

If you are worried about your child’s development, it is important to get in touch with someone who can help as soon as possible. Children under 7 do not need a diagnosis to access Early Intervention Supports under the NDIS. However, to meet criteria to access NDIS your child will need to demonstrate a delay across two areas of development such as social, emotional, behavioral and physical. Your child might already meet criteria having been diagnosed with a global developmental delay by your pediatrician or flagged as meeting criteria by your maternal child health nurse. Alternatively, you can book an appointment with a practitioner at Moi Clinic who can assist you to understand and advocate for your child’s needs.

What Next?

The first step is to call the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) on 1800 800 110. They will help you to find your local NDIS early childhood partner or organize for one to call you.

After your phone call you will receive a package from the NDIS to complete which asks for relevant details of your child’s functioning. This will need to be returned to the NDIS with any support letters from practitioners that you are able to gather.

Once the NDIS receive these they will book a meeting with you to discuss your child’s needs and develop an NDIS plan which will outline goals for your child and your family. The NDIA will then review all the information and you will either receive a certain amount of money that goes towards paying for early intervention services, or you will receive a letter outlining the reasons you are not able to receive funds.

Moi Clinic Early Intervention

The Moi Clinic team includes a range of practitioners who have been trained in early childhood development interventions and who have a range of knowledge in areas such as childcare, kinder and school transitioning, early attachment models, circle of security, social-emotional regulation activities, toilet training, play based models and fine and gross motor skills. Additionally, early intervention is a great way to learn about the strengths of your child and will highlight any concerns that you might need to consider, or assessments that may need to be used to flag any ongoing needs for your child as they move into school and as they move towards year 7. At the age of 7, if your child has not received a diagnoses NDIS will close their NDIS plan and you will no longer receive funding.

References

Raising Children Network (Early intervention for disability & autism | Raising Children Network).

Adams, Dawn, Keen, Deb, Heussler, Helen S., Wicks, Rachelle, Roberts, Jacqueline, & Heussler, Helen S. (2019). Family Outcomes for Families of 4–5-Year-Old Children on the Autism Spectrum Who Have Received Early Childhood Intervention in Australia. Infants and Young Children, 32(3), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1097/IYC.0000000000000143