Early Intervention

Early intervention is a support and educational system for very young children (aged birth to six years) who are at high risk for developmental disabilities or delays or have been identified as already having disabilities. Early intervention is a system of coordinated services that promotes the child's age-appropriate growth and development and supports families during the critical early years. Starting a partnership between parents and professionals at this early stage helps the child, family and community as a whole.

This program was launched in HKIDB in the year 2004 due to rising number of babies with birth complications and developmental delays and disabilities which were largely going unnoticed due to lack of awareness. The initial years are the critical years in a child’s life where early intervention could possibly prevent or minimize the loss.

Our special educators are trained to work with babies from birth. Any child who has multiple disabilities with visual impairment is eligible to join the program. This program requires a parent/caregiver to remain present during the 2-hours session. The special educators also train the parent/caregiver in various strategies and methods of communication that must be followed at home. The development and communication needs of each child will be different and the method used will have to accordingly vary through playway, multi-sensory intervention, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings for global development. The involvement with the special educators must begin at a young age and since the children have multiple disabilities the teacher-student ratio is 1:1.

The mission of the early intervention is to ensure that families who have children with disabilities or are at-risk children in this age range receive resources and support that assist them in maximizing their child's physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development and in dealing with their own trauma and disappointment and coming out of it.