EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM
If your child is struggling with achieving developmental milestones and this is impeding their participation in a preschool setting, then our Early Intervention Program can help you!
Al-Masarʼs Early Intervention Program serves children from birth to five years of age through a program that includes group activities as well as individualized therapy tailored to meet the individual needs of each child. Research has widely shown the efficacy of early intervention in stopping delays, returning development to typical pathways or maximizing outcomes with
long-lasting gains.
Children enrolled in this program receive initial and ongoing developmental assessments to identify areas of strengths and difficulties in an interdisciplinary manner. Children receive individual one-on-one therapy with speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, behavioral therapists and physical therapists, as well as attend the early intervention groups.
Parent training is an integral part of the Early Intervention Program. Parents are empowered on issues relevant to their childrenʼs needs and are guided on implementing strategies and activities to stimulate their childrenʼs development. Team meetings, involving parents and all team members working with the child, are conducted on a regular basis.
Early Intervention Groups
The groups have a high adult-child ratio and aim to facilitate peer interaction and enhance your child’s developmental potential through an individualized educational program. The number of hours your child spends in the group depends on their age, needs and capabilities. Your child’s presence in the group is complemented with the one-on-one therapy sessions.
The daily routine of the group addresses the following goals:
-
Developing social skills such as: turn-taking, responding to others’ initiations, initiating interactions, eye contact, sharing tools and toys and participating in group activities for prolonged periods of time.
-
Developing play skills such as: playing with toys as designed, playing with toys with an identifiable theme and developing appropriate skills for interactive play activities.
-
Developing fine motor skills such as: cutting, pasting and using utensils.
-
Developing gross motor skills such as: catching and throwing a ball, riding a tricycle and jumping.
-
Developing receptive and expressive language abilities in order to improve the child's ability to: respond to simple commands, understand vocabulary and concepts, express their needs and desires and use language to socially communicate with others.
-
Developing cognitive skills through providing play opportunities that develop concepts and curiosity to learn.
-
Developing personal independence through learning to perform simple tasks in the classroom.
-
Following classroom routines and making appropriate transitions from one activity to another.