We've preselected "All levels" for you, but you can change your study level at any
time by choosing one of the options on this menu. Changing your study level will return
you to the beginning of the module.
Research indicates that we need to intervene early to make sure
that our children get the best possible start in life.
...babies are born with 25 per cent of their brains developed, and there is then a
rapid period of development so that by the age of 3 their brains are 80 per cent developed.
In that period, neglect, the wrong type of parenting and other adverse experiences
can have a profound effect on how children are emotionally 'wired'. This will deeply
influence their future responses to events and their ability to empathise with other
people.
Allen, 2011
The
importance of prevention
A plausible case can be made for the viability and potential effectiveness
of primary and secondary prevention of learning disabilities... The vast majority
of the options for prevention involve altering the social and environmental context
in which children in the UK grow up. Some of these interventions are relevant to all
children (eg reducing exposure to child poverty and economic inequality). Some are
more specific to children with learning disabilities and the families who support
them (eg early intervention for children with developmental delay, short breaks).
Emerson, 2011
The
continuum of vulnerability (1)
...disability remains one of the most significant indicators of
greater chances of living in poverty.
Field, 2010
The continuum of vulnerability
VULNERABILITY
Disadvantage
Depravation
Disability
(Carpenter, 2010)
The
continuum of vulnerability (2)
...recent research in England has documented social gradients
across the full range of severity of learning disability...
When controlling for the effects of local authority, neighbourhood deprivation and
pertinent child characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity), children aged 7-15 in England
growing up in households that are eligible for free school meals are...80% more likely
to be identified as having a Special Educational Need (at School Action Plus or above)
associated with Profound Multiple Learning Difficulty (PMLD).
Emerson, 2011
Effectiveness
of family support
Family Support services proved the most useful aspect of Sure
Start for families with children with more complex needs. These services help families
to cope in crises, obtain services and benefits, gain skills and confidence in supporting
their child's development and get some respite from their caring responsibilities.
Home-visiting was particularly important in reaching isolated and vulnerable families...
The availability of specialist health services like speech and language therapy and
mental health outreach was significant for these young children, enabling preventive
work to occur, and developing parents' skills in promoting their child's development
and managing their behaviour.
Pinney, 2007
The
impact of intervention (1)
Initial findings from...indicative studies suggest that early years interventions
for disabled children can lead to:
Enhanced social and communication skills;
Greater inclusion and participation in mainstream settings;
Increased integration with the wider family;
Improved behaviour;
Enhanced cognitive development.
Martin et al, 2009
The
impact of intervention (2)
Improvements in outcomes for the families of disabled children may also include:
Positive perceptions and attitudes concerning their child's disability and
their parental situation;
Improved emotional wellbeing (including lower levels of parental stress,
emotional distress, anxiety and depression), and lower incidence of maternal mental
health issues;
Better access to services.
Martin et al, 2009
The
early years: a nurturing environment
In summary, the role that societies can play in early child development is to support
initiatives that bring young children into contact with environments that have the
following six characteristics:
Exploration is encouraged;
Mentoring in basic skills is provided;
The child's developmental advances are celebrated;
Development of new skills is guided and extended;
There is protection from inappropriate disapproval, teasing, or punishment;
The language environment is rich and responsive.
(Ramey and Ramey, in Maggi, 2005)
What are
the most effective intervention approaches?
Research the different early intervention approaches available to families of children
with SLD/PMLD/CLDD and their effectiveness; for example:
EarlyBird (National Autistic Society);
Family Nurse Partnerships;
Incredible Years Programmes;
Portage;
Sure Start Children's Centres;
Team Around the Child.
What characteristics of these approaches might be applicable within your setting?
Odom, S.L. and Wolery, M. (2003) A unified theory of practice in early intervention/early
childhood special education: evidence-based practices, Journal of Special Education,
37, 164-173.
Problems viewing video whilst online may be the result of controls on the network
you are using to access the SALT materials.
Should problems viewing video persist, it is recommended that users download the video
using the link provided.
Problems viewing video whilst offline?
If you are using Firefox or Internet Explorer, you may find that some video resources
will not play in your browser when you’re
working offline. We’ve supplied a link with each video to open it in your default
media player if this happens.
The mp4 videos on this site are not compatible with older versions of Windows Media
Player. If you want to watch the videos
offline, please download an alternative such as QuickTime or RealPlayer, and set this as your default media player. You will also need to do this if you
want to download videos from the materials’
‘Further reading’ area.
Alternatively, you may choose to work through the materials in Chrome or Safari.
Please go to your browser settings and turn on JavaScript to make full use of this site.
