How important is Early Intervention in kids’ development?
The critical age in a child’s development is between birth and age 48 months according to research. During these stage, their minds are like sponges and the window of opportunity is widely open. We should be aware of the things our child is expected to do in these times. If you have observed that your child is delayed in some areas, then be responsible enough to bring him/her to a developmental pediatrician.
The Developmental Pediatrician will guide you on what you can do to improve your child’s skills. I know that going to a developmental pedia scares most parents since we are afraid to know that there is something wrong with our child, but doing nothing is even scarier. You should know who to listen to, especially when your child’s condition is at stake, and for me, I only trust the expert. The Developmental Pedia will recommend you to a therapist if your child need an early intervention.
Early intervention programs lessen and in some cases prevent delays in development of infants and toddlers with learning delay or disabilities. Early intervention can decrease the need for special education and related services when a child enters school, and it can increase independence and productivity. Children whose needs are identified and addressed during these crucial early years have a greater chance of reaching their full potential.
Programs are designed to provide support for the child’s ability and therapy to improve the child’s weaknesses. In some areas, services are offered at your home, while most require going to a center.
A thorough early intervention program addresses five areas of development, with specific services customized to meet each child’s particular needs:
Occupational Therapist for 1. Cognitive development 2. Social-emotional development 3.and adaptive/self-help skills development
Physical Therapist for 4. Physical development which includes vision and hearing
Speech Therapist for 5.Language, speech, and communication
My son is undergoing once a week occupational therapy, once a week speech therapy and a play therapy to improve his social awareness. We started his therapy 2 years ago when I have noticed that he doesn’t speak much compared to other kids his age. Some relatives told me to relax since he is a boy and that boys mature slower than girls, but I don’t want to wait any longer, so I brought him immediately to a developmental pediatrician. There are few developmental pediatrician in the country so it took us a month or two to have a slot. A session to a Dev Ped cost around P2,500-P3,500. If you go to a public hospital like PGH, I heard that it cost around only P800. After my son was diagnosed, we were referred to see an Occupational Therapist twice a week. Getting a slot to a therapy center also took us another month. A session at Occupational Therapy cost around P600-P500. At PGH, I heard that they also offer therapy at a minimal amount of P50.00.
It is quite expensive, especially for middle class families like ours, but I can tell you that it’s all worth it. I saw a lot of improvement in my son. When he first started at OT, he can only say is his ABC’s and 123’s, now he can already speak 3-5 words per sentence, and he can now tell us what he wants. He managed and was able to cope up with a regular class and even got some awards. His therapist are all supportive of him and I believe that he will be productive as time goes by.
 |
| egg sandwich making at school |
 |
| Pastillas making |
 |
| Juice Making |
 |
| Art work from Global Art |
If you think financial aspect is a problem, worry not because there are some public hospitals like PGH that ask for a minimal amount.
Importante talaga ang early intervention. Buti ngayon open na sa ganitong cases ang society natin unlike noon na tinatago sila.
My son will turn three in a couple of months. There are times that I can’t understand what he is saying. He doesn’t have enough social interaction that is why he can’t speak straight just like the other kids. I know there is nothing wrong with him and I have to keep on talking and bring him with other kids to develop his language and social skills 🙂
Thanks for sharing! It is great that you decided to take that step towards early intervention. One brave step in helping your child keep up, and it’s not easy, but good job for doing everything you can for Renz. 🙂
Bigla tuloy ako napaisip if Sanjo needs early intervention too. Hehe.
It was a good thing that you took him to a DevPed early on since an early intervention would have really worked for him. Mahirap na maghintay ng maghintay and then later on regret kasi meron ka pa palang magagawa if only naagapan earlier on.
Thanks for sharing! Learned a lot from this post.
Like Vix, I am getting mixed reactions too when I opened up the idea to my husband. Well, our eldest looks fine and all but I am worried at how she copes up with her emotions. So ok, granted everything is fine with her, maybe the dev ped will be able to guide us on how to raise her, what to do etc.
I hope I can convince him with this post. And I also hope that there is a dev ped that is accredited by our HMO.
Did early intervention with my eldest and it worked! You’re doing a great job sis..
i’ve been getting mixed reactions when i opened that i wanted to bring my little man to a dev ped, some people are saying it is not necessary, some are telling me to go for it. it has been a month now. but i am really bent on having Jared checked, it might cost me a lot, but there is not price to peace of mind, right? plus, i am sure the little man will benefit a lot from it!
thank you for this inspiring post! + kudos to you for being a great mom!
nice that he is coping now with those activities.he’s still young and there are a big room for improvement.
I am thankful to God that all of my kids did not have any developmental problems. But I know a child who was brought to a dev. ped because of some delays in development. He’s really a gifted child and is now doing very well especially in school. Maybe your son is so, too.
Therapy does help kids with special needs. I am an Occupational Therapy graduate, but am not practicing. A lot of people still don’t know and understand what it is that therapists do so there should be more posts like this to increase awareness, most especially for people who need such services.
Thank you so much for sharing this post! Take care and God bless! 🙂
You are such a great mom, your kid is so lucky to have u.
What a beautiful article 🙂 Thank you for posting 🙂 Early intervention is really helpful, it makes life a big difference. Glad that you found yours early. Kepp it up
http://www.tropical7107islands.com/2012/04/sun-sea-and-sand-in-rhodes.html
You made the right decision to bring your son to a developmental pedia. At least you will have peace of mind now knowing he’s properly attended by professionals. It’s always better to follow your motherly instincts especially when it comes to the normal development of your child.
Thanks for this informative post!
Kudos to you for bringing your to a devped! sometimes it is always the first step that’s hard to take. but you managed to!