Early intervention

[jellybeans001]

Has anyone heard of the early intervention service. What do they do and what do you think of them and did they make a difference

Is this not the new name for the School Action + CAF type stuff? Initial SEN/SS/CP/CAMHS type concerns all fed into one referral process then filtered out to the right services if needed?

Yes

In my area Early Intervention Service is a CAMHS type service dealing with early stages of psychosis

What does that mean mrz

CAMHS is Child & Adolescent Mental Health services

No that can't be right in my areas different they help with iep and refer to services needed

Early Intervention in our area offer sessions at home with the Early Years SSSEN teaching service. Ds and dd had their input as opposed to Portage. They were very useful in obtaining statements before the dc started nursery and supported the school until dd began y1 (didn't offer that service with ds at the time)

Have you tried google? Early Intervention Service (your area)

Yes I have but wanted people's feedback on them

Insanity why did they stop with your child in yr1

Because their remit only covered until the end of EYFS and then Autism Outreach and SSSEN teaching service (if appropriate) took over. Dd didn't move to SSSEN because academically she is able but ds had SSSEN twice a week in school until the end of y6. SSSEN time (90mins) was in addition to the hours of support on ds's statement.

I was a volunteer helper in Early Intervention in our local area, for four years. Families were referred through school, SS, police or whatever. Volunteers were trained and monitored closely, and offered help to parents or children who were experiencing difficulties.

I worked for a few hours at a weekend, taking a child to the park, beach, woods, etc and just provided the sort of experiences and interaction that would, ideally, come from parents, but when parents couldn't cope.

One volunteer supported a family, and helped prevent four children being taken into care, which was a brilliant result. We would sometimes present information at case conferences. Some families feel more comfortable with a volunteer, than with SS.

We also supported at lunch times in some primary schools, with 'drop in' sessions in a dedicated room, so children could just come in and chat if they had 'problems' in the playground, or we provided craft activities.

[With the cut-backs I don't if the service is still operating. I'll try and find out.]

Ds and DD were referred by the paediatrician who led their multi disciplinary assessments. In our area it's a means of alerting the LEA to children who are going to be entering school with additional needs.
The teacher who saw ds and dd was very keen to have statements in place before a child entered any educational establishment and so made all referrals.
I feel very fortunate that she did tbh because dd would never have got a statement once in school as academically she is very strong and she has no behavioural problems and so nothing really with which to push for extra support.
Because dd wasn't and hadn't been in an educational setting we were able to hypothesise the difficulties she would have without support rather than document actual instances. As it was she started nursery with a TA and she never really had any difficulties if I'm honest.

PS: Yes, I'm glad to say they are still thriving, having obtained a generous grant from the Big Lottery Fund, thanks to the efforts of the very skilled manager, in submitting a successful bid.

I feel my son doesn't have difficulties either so question whether they should be involved or not. Feel happy that you have all had good experiences with them

Well ds and dd had autism diagnoses when they were referred to Early Intervention so obviously they had difficulties (ds far greater than dd) For dd though who saw Early Intervention from 15 months by the time she started school nursery at nearly four (I delayed entry) she was catching up fast and by the time she was in ft school (again at the latest point) she was most able in her year.

JB001: Surely school must have advised you why they felt there should be Intervention, whatever form it was to take? I wouldn't have thought they would proceed without a CAF, and you would get a copy of that, and probably be required to sign it.

Query it with class teacher, or HT if necessary. These things usually have the child's needs as a first priority, but I guess there can be times when it seems to conflict with what parents think is the best course of action.

He's had it since he was three as he was shy and only spoke in sentences at around 3 to 4 years old. He fine now though talking but still abit shy

He's fine now though but he not very confidence and is also shy so they could work on that

Have you asked what their concerns are? Our EI team were probably the most helpful and useful professionals involved tbh. I could have asked them anything. On the initial visit they filled in a developmental profile to establish where dc's difficulties lay, have they done this with your ds? I'm sure if you asked it would allow them to reassure you of any concerns you might have.

I have just replied on another 'thread' re an older child who has poor writing skills. For that I suggested tape recording his text, before writing it down, which he can do later when he feels like it.

Might dictating into a tape recorder, or suitable phone, help with your DS confidence? He could do it in a room, with no one to hear him, and if he isn't happy with the result he can re-record or erase it.