Why Early Intervention?

There are three fundamental reasons for early intervention support.
 

• Improving and enhancing the development of a child with developmental delays, conditions, or special needs.
• Providing assistance and support to families of children with developmental delays, conditions, or special needs.
• Laying a foundation that will improve the life of the child and offer greater opportunities as they enter adulthood.

According to research, learning and development are at their highest rate in the preschool years. Some children, due to conditions noticed at birth, special needs, or developmental delays which occur in the early years, risk missing some of the most important learning and developmental milestones.  Early intervention helps keep these children on a path to making the most of abilities and skills developed during the early years.

Early intervention services also support the parents and siblings of children with special needs. Families often experience frustration, stress, disappointment, and helplessness. This can both impact the well-being of the family and further affect the development of the special needs child.  Early intervention helps build a nurturing and supportive environment for the entire family.

Early intervention is forward looking, even into adulthood.  It has been shown that EI therapies do far more than provide for immediate benefits during the developmental years.  They significantly increase the child's ability to integrate in future social environments, including school, community, and ultimately employment.

What are the Benefits of Early Intervention Support?

Early intervention support means helping a child with a condition or special need meet their individual potential through appropriate therapies.  TEIS specializes in services focused toward children 0-3 years of age.
The benefits of early intervention programs have been demonstrated across a range of areas:

• Nutrition and physical health
• Development of fine motor skills
• Improvement of large motor skills, including walking
• Communication and Speech
• Vision and Hearing
• Behavioral and emotional development
• Cognition and scholastic achievement

Benefits in each of these developmental areas have been shown to occur immediately after receiving appropriate therapies, continuing into adolescence, and having positive effects even into adulthood.  Early intervention has been shown to reduce child maltreatment, reduce delinquency and crime in later life, and enhance job market success – all from interventions in the first years of life.

How to get Early Intervention Services

To learn how to get early intervention services for your child please visit our Get Help page, and the section on How Do I Get Early Intervention Help for My Child?

TEIS service areas include Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Beaver County (evaluations only), and Westmoreland County.

Early Intervention Therapies

TEIS provides Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Nutrition Therapy, Early Childhood Development Therapy, Vision Services, Hearing Therapy and Social Work.