You don’t have to be a psychologist to know that early intervention is critical when it comes to supporting our children’s early learning and development needs, as well as better preparing ourselves as parents to manage and cope with the ever-increasing challenges of raising a family and running a household while balancing work and other life demands. In this article, Dr Rachell Kingsbury of Mind Wise Psychology details just why early intervention is so important, and how to get it.
The research is conclusive.
Early diagnosis of autism in the preschool years means earlier access to supportive therapies, such as speech, occupational, and social strategies, and importantly, to NDIS funding to access these supports, that can help our kids engage in Prep more successfully. Outcome studies agree that: “children with autism make major gains with early intervention[1].”
This evidence based supporting early intervention repeats across all aspects of child development that our kids can experience, such as attention deficit, reading disorders, dyslexia, learning disorders, as well as early support for social and emotional development.
For example, where reading issues are detected early, reading intervention studies show that children who have targeted support in Prep or Grade 1 make greater gains in basic reading skills than those who received help later in the 3rd Grade; and those who had earlier support continued to develop reading at faster rates well after these programs end.[2]
But it’s not just about our children being academically ready for school. Unsurprisingly, helping common learning-developmental issues before the age of 5-years also helps our kids to be happier and more emotionally successful in Prep. Research emphasises this by reporting that 89% of children who don’t access timely support for cognitive-developmental disorders suffer far greater anxiety and depression at school and difficult behaviours at home.[3]
Getting the right support
In Australia, early assessment and diagnosis is also critically linked to funding[4] to support intervention. And with all evidence showing that the sooner we can access support the less likely we will suffer more chronic conditions or severe disorders, it makes sense that supports for our kids are often more comprehensive.
This goes for parents too. Studies again provide conclusive evidence that if parents, carers, and families receive early intervention, coping and resiliency are enhanced[5],[6].
In fact, there is no aspect of psychology, whether we’re talking about children or parents, that proposes waiting a really long time before seeking help will be better in the long run for everyone.
Early intervention is an easy point to prove, of course.
However, what is proving much more difficult, is helping families to access the early interventions they need and are entitled to better support engagement with curriculum, classmates, within families, the workplace, and/or community in a safer, more successful manner.
Mind Wise Psychology
Over the past years, Mind Wise Psychology Services has dedicated its work to helping members of local community, as well as State and National located families, to better accessing a high standard of neuropsychology (cognitive testing) designed to facilitate access to early intervention.
Mind Wise Psychology’s team of Assessment Psychologists offer specialised experience in:
- School readiness assessments,
- Early (preschool, Prep, primary school) assessments of autism, attention, learning, emotional, and/or social difficulties,
- Learning and educational assessments,
- Specialist neuropsychological assessments for children with neurological (oncology, epilepsy, cerebral palsy) and/or genetic challenges, or life limiting conditions,
- NDIS assessments.
The team at Mind Wise Psychology Services is committed to the improvement of better supporting our most vulnerable kids, as including:
- Nonverbal, hearing impaired, and/or sensory impaired children,
- First Nations families,
- Culturally and linguistically diverse,
- Neurodivergent females,
- LTGBQI individuals,
- Rural and remote kids, too.
How Mind Wise Psychology can help
To facilitate early intervention Mind Wise Psychology Services aims to bridge gaps that prevent all Australians from early intervention by offering FIFO assessments across Australia, and going into homes and schools, as needed.
Their Clinical Psychologists can better support adults and parents also, either face-to-face or by Telehealth.
Offering over a decade of service in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology, our reputation is demonstrated by our longstanding relationships with NDIS organisations, schools, Primary and Specialist Medical Practitioners, Legal and Government systems, and individuals.
Mind Wise Psychology has availability NOW.
These appointments fill up rapidly, and we are a small but effective team, so please take this opportunity to book in as soon as possible.
The team looks forward to seeing you in clinic soon!
This article was written by Dr Rachell Kingsbury (MAPS), Clinical Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist, BPsy(Hons), MAClinPsych, DClinPsych&ClinNeuro, DipBusMgmt, JPQual, Clinical Director, Mind Wise Psychology Services
[1] Smith, T. (1999). Outcome of early intervention for children with autism. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6(1), 33.
[2] Lovett, M. W., Frijters, J. C., Wolf, M., Steinbach, K. A., Sevcik, R. A., & Morris, R. D. (2017). Early intervention for children at risk for reading disabilities: The impact of grade at intervention and individual differences on intervention outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(7), 889.
[3] Yu, J. W., Buka, S. L., McCormick, M. C., Fitzmaurice, G. M., & Indurkhya, A. (2006). Behavioral problems and the effects of early intervention on eight-year-old children with learning disabilities. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 10, 329-338.
[4] https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/how-apply/information-gps-and-health-professionals/eligibility-and-early-intervention-faq (accessed 13/02/2024)
[5] McConnell, E. A., Birkett, M., & Mustanski, B. (2016). Families matter: Social support and mental health trajectories among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(6), 674-680.
[6] Zaidman-Zait, A., & Jamieson, J. R. (2007). Providing web-based support for families of infants and young children with established disabilities. Infants & Young Children, 20(1), 11-25.
