How an Early Intervention Programme Can Help Your Child Overcome Developmental Delays

As a parent, you may have noticed that your child’s learning or development is not progressing at the same pace as their peers. They may face difficulties understanding certain concepts such as math or respond differently from their peers.

Despite how painful and difficult it is to accept the fact that your child may be facing learning difficulties, it is essential to identify these challenges early, in the best interests of your child. Thereafter, it is advisable to seek help from the professionals, who will help transition your child into mainstream schools in Primary 1 or Special Needs Education based on their specific learning needs.

With this, it is important to enrol your child into an Early Intervention Programme (EIP) as soon as possible.

Keep reading to find out more about EIP, and how MindChamps Allied Care EIP can help you maximise your child’s potential and empower them with the ability and confidence to be independent.

What is an Early Intervention Programme (EIP)?

EIP supports children with learning difficulties by equipping them with essential skills needed for their transition to mainstream or special education schools.

It targets five key developmental areas:

1. Gross and fine motor skills
2. Perceptual and cognitive skills
3. Language and communication skills
4. Socialisation skills, and
5. Self-help skills

EIP has been increasingly accepted and gaining popularity in Singapore over the years. With this, parents are often placed on a waitlist and may not have an immediate opportunity to start their child on an EIP.

According to The Straits Times, 2,600 children benefited from EIP and EIPIC (Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children) in 2015, almost twice as many children as compared to 1,400 children reported in 2010.

One such case is Mr D’Silva, whose son is enrolled in MindChamps Allied Care EIP. After two months of attending the programme, he noticed that his son has made significant progress in his speech and toilet habits – he is now able to use the toilet independently! He has also observed that the teachers are committed, capable and enthusiastic, and that his son often looks forward to his classes.

MindChamps, a leading organisation in the preschool education industry, has now expanded to provide Allied Care Early Intervention services to cater to the learning and developmental needs of children who are preparing for primary school.

Read also: Executive Functioning Issues in Children: Useful Information for Parents

MindChamps Allied Care EIP

The MindChamps Allied Care EIP supports children aged 18 months to 6 years old. It focuses on five key developmental areas to prepare them for primary school (for either mainstream or special education):

1. Gross and fine motor skills
2. Perceptual and cognitive skills
3. Language and communication skills
4. Socialisation skills, and
5. Self-help skills

All MindChamps Allied Care therapists (occupational therapists, speech therapists, and educational therapists), child psychologists and teachers receive training and are highly qualified to work with children with unique learning needs.

These include, but are not limited to, children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Autism, Global Development Delay, Specific Language Impairment, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Speech and Language Delay, Hearing Impairment, and Motor Speech Disorder/Apraxia of Speech.

Most importantly, our small teacher-child ratio — 2:5 — ensures that each child gets dedicated attention and support at any time.

What’s Unique about the MindChamps Allied Care EIP?

The MindChamps Allied Care team strongly believes in working closely with the family to support your child’s development. In order to maximise your child’s therapy outcomes, we integrate research evidence with our therapists’ clinical expertise and your child’s values and preferences.

But what truly differentiates the MindChamps Allied Care EIP from other programmes of its kind is its curriculum and criterion-based system – The Assessment, Evaluation and Programming System (AEPS®).

The AEPS® helps to:

• Identify children’s strengths and emerging skills across developmental areas
• Identify functional goals and objectives for Individual Education Plans (IEP)s or other individualised plans
• Assist in planning and guiding intervention
• Monitor children’s progress over time.

Therapists and teachers use the AEPS® to set realistic education goals and objectives that children can confidently work towards. With these guidelines in place, teachers can formulate the best learning opportunities for your child.

Read also: Learning Difficulties in Children: Dyslexia and Auditory Processing Disorder

How to Get Started

If your child is between 18 months to 6 years old and you have noticed that he is facing learning difficulties, MindChamps Allied Care EIP can help.

To enrol, simply:

1. Make a booking here
2. Complete the registration form
3. Your child will then undergo an EIP enrolment assessment (which lasts 1 – 2 hours) with our clinician
4. Parents will be debriefed, and depending on your child’s needs, he will be placed into a suitable class for further intervention
5. Fill up the Family Report Form provided, and submit it on the first day of class

Within 14 days, you will receive your child’s classroom placement and a summary of your child’s assessment report. This way, your child can get the help he needs, as soon as possible.

Book an appointment at your preferred MindChamps Allied Care EIP centre now!

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