Is your Child in Need of an Early Intervention?

Does your child not utter a single word despite reaching the age where children can speak complex sentences? Does he avoid looking into your eyes while you talk to him? Does he not respond to his name? If yes, then you need to consult a trained clinical psychologist.

Absence of speech is one of the commonly identified developmental delays in children by parents. However, the child might be facing several other difficulties which can go unnoticed by parents. Early intervention plays a significant role by assessing other developmental delays and bringing them to attention.

Some of the instances that indicate that your child has developmental delays-

·        Physical development- The child fails to sit, crawl, reach for objects, or point to toys within one year.

·       Cognitive Development-The child does not look for fallen toys, and does not find covered/hidden toys before one year of age.

·       Speech and Language- The child does not respond to his name by turning his head, does not follow simple commands within one year, and cannot speak three -word sentences before 2 years.

·       Social Development-The child does not smile back at a smiling face before one year of age, does not choose toys independently, and does not play with other children before 3 years.

Behavior patterns such as covering ears when exposed to certain sounds, making repetitive hand gestures, repeating what others are saying without responding, uttering nonsensical sounds, smelling things are indicators of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Upon identification, assistance services such as early intervention/cognitive training/ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy are then provided, catering to the needs of the child and facilitating their growth. The trained clinical psychologist recommends the assistance program suitable for the child after undertaking developmental assessments.