Early Intervention

Early Intervention is a voluntary, family-centered service provided in the natural environment for children from birth to 5 years of age. The role of your Early Intervention team members is to help families understand their child’s development and provide them with resources and training to assist their child in reaching their full potential. Early Intervention offers two primary services: Family Training and Service Coordination. These services are provided in accordance with an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for children from birth to 3 years old, or a Family Service Plan (FSP) for children aged 3 to 5 years. Easterseals South Carolina utilizes the Coaching Interaction Style for all services.

We believe that you are the expert on your child and have the most significant impact on their development. This means that the way Early Intervention services are delivered may differ from other medical service providers. Early Intervention staff will provide services in places where you and your child typically spend time and guide you on how to use everyday activities to help your child learn and develop during your interactions.

Early Intervention team members use a Coaching Interaction Style to support families in their child’s learning and development. Coaching involves five steps, which your Early Intervention team members will use during each visit, with some steps potentially repeated multiple times:

• Joint Planning: At the beginning of the visit, you and your Early Intervention team member will discuss the plan and goals from the last visit. You will share what you tried with your child and what did and didn’t work. Together, you will decide what to work on during the current visit and set the focus for the next visit.
• Observation: Your Early Intervention team member will observe you and your child interacting during daily activities. They will also watch you using suggested strategies and any other approaches you have tried.
• Action and Practice: Your Early Intervention team member will help you practice new ways to support your child’s learning and development during your daily activities.
• Reflection: Your Early Intervention team member will ask questions for you to consider, such as your thoughts on a suggested strategy or a challenge your child is facing. They will encourage you to reflect on which strategies are working well, which need adjustment, and when to use each strategy.
• Feedback: Your Early Intervention team member will provide information to enhance your knowledge and skills, helping you determine which strategies best support your child in meeting their goals.

Visit our staff directory to meet the early intervention team.

Early Intervention Forms & Policies

Contact us for more information, Karen Larson, Director of Early Intervention 803- 372-9425 or Fax: 888-467-2185
 klarson@sc.easterseals.com