Early Intervention Therapy

When children are diagnosed with autism, doctors and therapists will likely recommend they go to early intervention (EI) therapy.  Below, we discuss what EI is and a few easy ways to start looking for an ABA (a certain type of EI) provider.  For more information on the different types of EI that are commonly used, please see our Types of Early Intervention Therapies article.

What is Early Intervention (EI)?

EI takes advantage of the fact that children’s brains growing quickly while they are young.  EI uses this fact to more easily teach children important life skills.  There are several different types of EI and they all have slightly different focuses and use slightly different techniques.  However, all types of EI include the following:

• EI describes therapies that are used to treat young children with developmental delays. Treating children with EI while they are very young is crucial because that is when the brain’s plasticity is highest – when children are young, their ability to learn new skills is the highest it will ever be, and the skills they do learn will stay with them throughout their lives.
• Studies have shown that the sooner an autistic child receives EI, the better the child’s long-term benefits (such as improved cognitive ability, better self-regulation, and better language skills) will be.
• EI’s Goal: To help autistic children gain everyday life skills that typically develop during the first few years of life.
• EI is highly individualized to each child. Treatment will begin with the therapist asking caregivers questions about what things the child struggles with and the skills they would like to learn.  Parent/caregiver participation in treatment is strongly encouraged.

What does EI do?

EI helps kids develop skills across 5 different areas: physical skills, cognitive skills, communication skills, adaptive skills, and social/emotional skills.  More specifically,

• EI that focuses on physical skills might help kids with: crawling, walking, reaching for/grabbing things.
• EI that focuses on cognitive skills might help kids with: problem solving, paying attention, learning, remembering.
• EI that focuses on communication skills might help kids with: listening, talking, expressing needs/wants, understanding other people.
• EI that focuses on adaptive skills might help kids with: getting dressed, using the potty, following rules.
• EI that focuses on social/emotional skills might help kids with: recognizing feelings, managing anxiety, processing strong emotions.

To read more about how EI can help, follow this link: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/early-intervention-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

Where can you find EI providers?

Children 1^st

• Provides service for children from birth through 5 years old.
• Children 1^st connects children with suspected developmental delays (such as ASD) with EI services and other public health services.
• In order to get stared with Children 1^st, fill out the form at this link: Children 1st Screening and Referral Form.
  • When the form is complete, click the purple “Coordinator LookUp” button in the bottom right hand corner of the form. That will open a window for the Georgia Maternal Child Health Coordinator Locator.
  • On the Georgia Maternal Child Health Coordinator Locator page, you will see a pink box where you should enter your home zip code (or choose your home county from the “Please Select County” drop down menu). Click on the box for “Children 1^st” on the Select Programs list.  Click on the “Search For Locations” button.
  • A map should pop up with the Children 1^st locations nearest you marked. Send your completed form (email or fax) to the Children 1^st office nearest you.
• Example: If someone were looking for a Children 1^st office in Savannah, they would fill out the Georgia Maternal Child Health Coordinator Locator as such:

Babies Can’t Wait

• Provides services for children from birth through 3 years old.
• Provides early identification and screening in children with developmental delays.
• Support family members and caregivers to improve developmental outcomes.
• Babies Can’t Wait | Georgia Department of Public Health

The Autism ToolKit’s Directory

Article by: The Autism ToolKit

Work Cited

• Early Intervention with Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Programs
• School Age Outcomes of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Received Community-Based Early Interventions
• School Age Outcomes of Children Diagnosed Early and Later with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Pre-emptive intervention versus treatment as usual for infants showing early behavioural risk signs of autism spectrum disorder: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial