1. Introduction to Early Intervention
What are disabilities and why do we care?
What is Early Intervention?

2. What I hope you get out of the lesson
Definitions of disability
Use proper etiquette and person-first language
Identify internal and External Risk Factors for Disability
Define Early Intervention Services
State why these services are important
In this lesson, we will:
Come up with our own definitions of disability
Learn proper etiquette and person-first language
State some internal and external risk factors for disability
Define and state the importance of early intervention

3. What is disability? Encarta:
1. restricted capability to perform particular activities: an inability to perform some or all of the tasks of daily life 2. medical condition restricting activities: a medically diagnosed condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life 3. payment to person with inability: a sum of money paid to somebody, usually on a monthly basis, by a government agency or insurance company because he or she is unable to work 4. legal disqualifier: something that causes somebody to be regarded in law as ineligible to perform a specific transaction
According to Encarta, a disability is:
restricted capability to perform particular activities: an inability to perform some or all of the tasks of daily life 2. medical condition restricting activities: a medically diagnosed condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life 3. payment to person with inability: a sum of money paid to somebody, usually on a monthly basis, by a government agency or insurance company because he or she is unable to work 4. legal disqualifier: something that causes somebody to be regarded in law as ineligible to perform a specific transaction

4. What is a Disability? Federal Definitions of Disability
SOOOO…WHAT IS A DISABILITY?
Impairment?
Difference?
Hindrance?
Culture?
Barrier?
The law has several different definitions of disability. Let’s look at this document online:
The DD Act states that it’s a mental or physical impairment that reflects the need for special services
ADA (1990) states that it’s an impairment that limits one or more major life activities, but that it cannot be applied to things such as pedophilia, kleptomania, or substance abuse
The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act – 14 categories from Mental Retardation to Orthopaedic Impairments, but also includes provisions for those considered at risk for “developmental delays”
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – does not include infectious disease or alcoholism
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ compensation Act – inability to earn wages because of impairment
US Housing act of 1937 – disability must be long-continued and indefinite duration
So how shall we define disability?
Impairment
Difference
Hindrance
Culturally Relevant?
Barrier or an Opportunity?
Let’s discuss this for about 10 minutes and come up with our own definition.

5. The Effects of a Label We make associations based upon our experiences
Person First Language
Put the person before the disability
Incorrect: “Autistic Child”, “CP Kid”
Correct: “Child with Autism”, “Person with CP”
Derogatory terms are NEVER acceptable in this course!
Ok, so we’ve defined it and we’ve talked about how it is caused – now, what is the fallout of having a label?
As we know, language can make or break someone.
We make associations based on our experiences. Take the work by Steve Hayes, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, and others
When categories are reinforced, children tend to keep those associations
E.g. Soda – good; water – bad
There is some evidence that the way that we talk about people and our opinions of them are shaped by the language and behavior of others
Therefore, we need to be sure that we are always painting children in a positive light to others
One way to do this is through Person-first language
Put the person before the disability
Incorrect: “Autistic Child”, “CP Kid”
Correct: “Child with Autism”, “Person with CP”
Derogatory terms are NEVER acceptable in this course!

6. Causation Sociocultural Biomedical Economic
Poor nutrition/medical care
Fewer opportunities for learning
Biomedical
Chromosomal
Metabolic
Brain disease
Behavioral/ Environmental
Maternal infection
Drug/alcohol abuse
Postnatal infection
Trauma
Unknown Causes
Now that we have defined disability, now we can talk about what might put a person at risk (if that is the appropriate term) for disability
Sociocultural
Economic – kids with less opportunity may have less resources for learning
Poor nutrition/medical care – prenatal, well-baby checkups
Fewer opportunities for learning – this is why Head Start was created
Biomedical
Chromosomal – Down Syndrome
Metabolic - PKU
Brain disease – Muscular Dystrophy
Behavioral/ Environmental
Maternal infection – Encephalitis, Maternal Rubella
Drug/alcohol abuse – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Postnatal infection - RSV
Trauma – e.g., Car Accidents
Unknown Causes – the majority of disabilities in children are of unknown origin (e.g., autism)

7. Why do we intervene? Why early?
Possibility of increasing gaps
Matthew Effect
More likely to engage in risky sexual behavior
Violence and Abuse
More likely to be an offender
Earning potential and poverty
Regardless of how they are caused, it is important to intervene early.
Why do we intervene, and why so early?
Well, we know that kids with disabilities tend to fall further behind their peers without intervention and may even lose the skills that they already have
Morgan, Farkas, & Hibel (2008) – documentation that kids with poor literacy skills in early childhood tend to get worse while those with better skills tend to get better
So what are the effects?
Risky sexual behavior
Stenjhem, 2005 – 32-55% of offenders in JJ have some sort of disability
Earning Potential and Poverty
A study conducted by CDS in 2007 reported that adults in DE with intellectual and cognitive disabilities in DE were very likely to live below the poverty line (University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies, 2007)
Therefore, not intervening may have not only personal, but societal, consequences

8. Common goals of Early Intervention
Assisting children in living in and adapting to various environmental settings
Home
School
Playground
Services should involve families
Decrease financial costs of care and services
Improve quality of life and maximize potential – INDEPENDENCE
Assisting children in living in and adapting to various environmental settings
Home
School
Playground
Services should involve families
Decrease financial costs of care and services
Improve quality of life and maximize potential – INDEPENDENCE

9. What types of services are provided
Need to be family-based interventions
Family education and home visits
Specialized instruction
Speech and Language
OT/PT
Psychology
Service coordination
Medical services for diagnosis and evaluation
Social Work
Health services
Transportation
Goal – prevention of disabling conditions
Interventions are mutidisciplinary and focus on the family’s needs, strengths, and wishes
families are the decision makers – once you move to part B, it tends to be more student centered
the WHOLE family is involved including siblings
respect the level of family involvement
It is important to be culturally sensitive as well
must be a collaborative model as opposed to a directive and training model
Some examples of what services a family might get
Family education and home visits
Specialized instruction
Speech and Language
OT/PT
Psychology
Service coordination
Medical services for diagnosis and evaluation
Social Work
Health services
Transportation

10. References
Allen, K. E., & Chowdery, G. E. (2009). The exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood education (6th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar.
Campbell, F. A., Wasik, B. H., Pungello, E., Burchinal, M., Barbarin, O., Kainz, K., & Sparling, J. (2008). The effects of early educational intervention on young adult outcomes: A replication study. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.23,
Christle, C. A., Nelson, C. M., & Jolivette, K. (2002). Prevention of antisocial and violent behavior in youth: a review of the literature.
Federal statutory definitions of disability Retrieved 9/3/2009, 2009, from
Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Egan, M. W. (2005). Human exceptionality: School, community, and family (8th ed.). New York: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.
Hayes, S. C., Fox, E., Gifford, E. V., Wilson, K. G., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Healy, O. (2001). Derived relational responding as learned behavior. In S. C. Hayes, D. Barnes-Holmes & B. Roche (Eds.), Relational frame theory: A post-skinnerian account of human language and cognition (). New York: Kluwer Academic.
Smeets, P. M., & Barnes-Holmes, D. (2003). Children's emergent preferences for soft drinks: Stimulus equivalence and transfer. Journal of Economic Psychology, 24,
Stenhjem, P. (2005). Youth With Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System: Prevention and Intervention Strategies [Electronic Version]. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from
University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies. (2007). Delaware Health Status Report for Persons with Disabilities. Newark, DE: Division of Developmental Disabilities Services Delaware Health and Social Services.
The next time we come together, we will talk a little about the history of special education and the legal foundations of early intervention.
Here are some more references, beyond those in your textbook and course readings, that I used to create this presentation.