ii. Early intervention is to support and take action as soon as a problem emerges for children, young people and their families. It may occur at any point and doesn’t necessarily mean early in life. The term early is in relation to the time a strategic development can be put in place in order to improve the circumstances. The nursery which Archie attends have requested he is assessed by a Speech and Language Therapist. Archie’s hearing has already been tested and is clear. Archie should have developed more language and communication skills and the nursery practitioners think he may need targeted support. The observations made by the nursery practitioners have also highlighted he does not interact with his peers.
Their professional opinion is he may not receive any communication/interaction from his parents because of the ongoing problems within the family. Archie was not a planned pregnancy which affected his early relationship with his parents. Rosie has not been very responsive to his needs due to her own mental health and Jim when working was out all hours. If Archie does not receive the right level of communication or stimulating environment at home his language skills may be limited. The support of a speech and language therapist and nursery practitioner will promote Archie’s speech therefore early intervention in this instance is important. Staring the therapy early will increase the chances of a positive outcome. The sessions may include playing and talking, using pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development.
The therapist may also model correct vocabulary and grammar and use repetition exercises to build Archie’s language skills.
