Category — 1.1. RATIONALE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Rationale for the Course

Parents and service providers need all the tools they can get to learn about supporting a child with a developmental condition. A free online learning modules in early childhood intervention is useful because the more information is available, the more empowered and able parents and caregivers will be to advocate for children and support their needs. A course such as the one you will find here also provides a starting point for other, more comprehensive early childhood intervention programs in the future.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

You will learn about:

• the basics of typical and of atypical development in terms of motor, language, cognitive, adaptive, social, and emotional skills; the continuum of factors and conditions and how they relate to one another, including:;

• biological/genetic factors
• social factors
• environmental factors

• the continuum of special needs, from mild conditions to severe and multiple disorders;
• what are programs and resources that support the child in having a successful entry into early childhood group programs and elementary school;
• • methods of intervention that are geared toward improving the development of the child;
  • the professionals involved in early childhood intervention

• reference to reliable online information, in order to help parents and service providers to  tell the difference between reliable and unreliable information on the web;
  • how to access the wide range of online and print resources available; and,
• description of proved traditional therapeutic techniques and mention of other techniques that require additional study because they may be controversial in terms of their therapeutic value.
• These online learning resources will help parents and professionals understand, especially in the areas of social/emotional and mental health, but also in the areas of physical, cognitive and speech and  language development:
• that all aspects of childhood development relate to one another. For example, a child with language delays may also experience cognitive and social delays, which in turn may impact their emotional development;
• how changes in the child’s environment can help lessen the impact of a condition for both the child and parents;
• that finding out about the child’s developmental concerns early helps parents better understand their child. This, in turn, may help parents to:
• learn how to avoid negative interactions between themselves and their child
• enjoy their child, and,
• manage their child’s condition.

• how intervention can improve some areas of development, especially in the areas of social, emotional and mental health;
• that successful intervention aims at helping the child reach their own maximum potential, as opposed to fixing or curing a condition or disorder;

• Points to keep in mind through the course include the following:

1. Understand that the child is a whole person, and not just the sum of different developmental categories;
2. Child development does not occur in a vacuum. The combination of both environmental and genetic factors has an impact on the development of each child.

If we understand these basic tenets of child development, we can then gain true insight into a child’s world.