Unlocking Potential: The Power of Early Intervention in Student Success

In our previous blog posts, you read, “Early intervention has benefits which greatly impact the child’s development and overall well-being.” Investing in early intervention profoundly impacts their lives, guiding them towards a more inclusive and rewarding future. Early intervention helps children develop life and educational skills such as the ability to form and maintain friendships, literacy and problem-solving skills. These abilities will be helpful to them throughout their lives. As a result, it is critical to intervene as soon as feasible. 

Although it’s best to mitigate a developmental issue before a child reaches the age of three, early intervention remains important during the subsequent school years. For example, a teacher who notices a student struggling with reading comprehension can help that student secure the individualised attention they need before they’re “left behind” by their peers. Despite the attention of caring parents and teachers, a struggling student may be suffering from an underlying developmental disability, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), hearing loss, or a learning disability.

Some of the benefits that children and families may experience through early intervention:

• Increases the child’s ability to comprehend and deal within social environments such as school, the neighbourhood and community, and, eventually, employment.

• Builds a supportive and nurturing environment for the entire family. Since children are more comfortable in their homes, they will benefit when families and teachers collaborate to incorporate new developments into the child’s everyday routines. Parents may feel empowered by their newfound role to enhance their child’s development.

Early intervention is important because learning and development are at their highest rates during school years. We want our children to thrive and grow physically, mentally and emotionally. When families work together with educators and specialists, a positive outcome is more likely for your child.

Along similar lines, we would like to further emphasise it through this blog by mentioning one such instance about a team of two People of Determination and two Gifted and Talented Students, who had the opportunity to collaborate with each other and participate in the Unified Robotics competition organised by Special Olympics UAE along with the sponsorship from ADNOC. They jointly worked on developing a model of Lego Robotics for the display. And, we are delighted to share that in the Regional Qualifiers, they earned a Gold medal for their presentation category and a Bronze in the technical category. Early intervention set them on a path to this remarkable success. This journey towards student achievement is enriched by the collaborative efforts of their teachers, heads of sections, senior leadership team, and their parents.

Their intervention journey began years ago and we can see the pivotal role intervention has played in their lives. However, this alone was not the sole criterion for their all-round development, collaboration from External Specialist and In-School intervention programs also played a crucial role in their lives.

Today, both the students' performance displays their self-confidence and a voice, and there is an increased social engagement, participation and motivation in all activities that they perform. Undoubtedly and indisputably, early intervention and collaboration play a crucial factor in the life journey of a PoD student. As professionals in the field of Special Education, we strongly advocate to parents on the importance of early intervention and collaboration. A strong parent-professional partnership is vital for growth and success throughout the child's life. By working hand in hand with parents, external professionals and in-school professionals, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment that fosters a child's cognitive, physical and emotional-social well-being. Such partnerships ensure that every child with developmental delays and disabilities has the opportunity to thrive and reach their true potential. 

Parents, be an advocate for your child's unique needs and approach your child's school Inclusion Team and seek their guidance and support.

Once again, our heartiest Congratulations once again to each one of our four students for winning this prestigious award!

Stay tuned to our next blog where the parents of our highly motivated and diligent students speak about their journey in supporting and upbringing their child irrespective of the limitations they face.