Early Intervention Services for Young Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Early intervention services consist of services designed to meet the developmental needs of children from birth to 5 years of age and their families. Services are individualized to the child and family needs and focus on early identification and intervention of problems to minimize developmental delays, reduce the development of secondary impairments, and promote family competence in caring for their child. The use of family-centered care and provision of services in the natural environments are key components of early intervention services. Evaluation using collaborative models, such as arena assessments, with family involvement, is used to determine family priorities for services. Intervention is generally provided using interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary service delivery models and emphasizes coaching of families to facilitate their ability to meet the needs of their child. Research has generally supported the use of early intervention to facilitate motor and cognitive development for infants with or at risk for cerebral palsy (CP); however, long-term outcomes of intervention have not been established.