How Does Early Special Education Affect Child Development?

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Early special education services are to provide early interventions to children with disabilities. The goal of early special education is to intervene during the early years to decrease the harmful external influences and maximize the student’s development and learning. The research shows that early experiences affect development (Hooper and Umansky, 2014). For example, children who are malnourished have a tendency to develop at a delayed rate as they grow (Hooper and Umansky, 2014). By providing an early intervention to children who are at a high risk for malnutrition, the child should be less likely to have a delay. A child’s development is crucial to the child’s success as an adult. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act …show more content…
If there are any concerns about the child’s development they should be voiced to the doctor or early intervention provider. This is the first responsibility the parents have and will help with early identifying any developmental delays (Hooper and Umansky, 2014). Families are impacted the most by having a child with a disability. There is a large amount of stress associated with having a child with a disability. Early childhood special education services are to be family centered to meet the family’s needs. Hopefully, the services provided will help eliminate some of the stress (Hooper and Umansky, 2014). Families are the most valuable part in a child’s education. Families have a large role to play in early childhood special education services. Families should be involved with all decision made for their child. A key component to help encourage family involvement is a family-professional partnership (Hooper and Umansky, …show more content…
This allows the child and family to see the classroom to get a sense of where he/she will be in kindergarten. In addition, teachers and families can see any obstacles that need to be addressed. Another strategy that is important is a home visit before and after the child starts kindergarten (Bohan-Baker and Little, 2002). Home visits allow teachers to see how the child interacts with the environment they are most familiar with. In addition, teachers can see what accommodations/modifications the family has made at home. Once the child has started kindergarten, the visits can include teaching parents strategies to incorporate activities to encourage development. Challenges may arise during a transition. Communication is a common issue. Teachers, providers, and parents must develop a communication system that is effective for them. Time is another challenge that is common. Due to the fact that there are many people involved in a transition plan it can be hard to find time for people to meet and activities to take place (Bohan-Baker and Little,