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All children do not develop at
exactly the same pace and all people have individual strengths and
weaknesses. However, questions arise when a child’s physical, speech, or
intellectual development seems slower in one or more areas than the average
range of development occurring in most children. Parents or a professional,
such as a doctor, childcare provider, teacher, nurse, or anyone who spends
time with a child, may observe a developmental delay or medical or
behavioral symptoms which raise concerns about a child’s development. It is
then necessary to get a professional evaluation to determine if the child’s
development is within the typical range with unique strengths and
weaknesses, or if there is a developmental delay or disability that will
require intervention services.
Once a child is determined to be at risk for a disabling condition or a
diagnosis is made of a developmental delay or disability, an individualized
plan for early intervention services will be prepared. Early intervention
means services are provided directly to the family and child to prevent
further delay, to lessen the impact of an existing delay and behavioral or
medical condition, and in many situations to rapidly advance the child’s
development to within the average range.
Sometimes symptoms are observed without a clear diagnosis and other times a
medical diagnosis has been made without clear knowledge of exactly how
significant the impact will be on an individual child. For example, a
medical diagnosis can be made at birth or shortly afterwards, but doctors
and other professionals are not able to precisely predict an individual
child’s ability in the long run. (No more so than we can ever predict a
typical child’s success in the long run either.)
As a child grows in development and begins to form his or her unique
personality, various symptoms and behavioral signs may emerge or, if already
known, clarify the impact of a medical diagnosis. For children without an
early medical diagnosis, emerging developmental delay or behavioral
characteristics will trigger the evaluation process to detect and diagnose a
disability. For some families, there is an extended limbo period where there
are observed developmental delays and symptoms, but not enough information
to make a definitive diagnosis. This period can be very frustrating for
families trying to make decisions. In every case, however, it is important
to provide intervention services in areas of delay whether there is a
diagnosed disability or not. The impact of a disability can always be
lessened to some degree by early intervention, even if the disability’s
future ramifications are not entirely overcome.
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The impact of a
disability can always be lessened to some degree by early intervention. |
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