Early Childhood Development Is Not Enough: In Defense of Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Their Right to Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (In the Global South)
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Defining Early Childhood
3. Early Childhood Development
4. Disability in Early Childhood
5. Early Childhood Intervention
- Medical Doctors and Specialists: Pediatrician, Otolaryngologist, Ophthalmologist, Neurologist, Orthopedic surgeon, Psychiatrist;
- Healthcare Professionals: Social Worker, Psychologist, Optometrist, Dentist;
- Allied Health Professionals: Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Pathologist, Nutritionist;
- Early Childhood Professionals: Early Childhood Developmentalist, Early Interventionist, Pediatric Carer, Pre-school Teacher;
- Educators: Specialist Teachers (Autism/Deaf/Blind/Neuro Diverse, etc.);
- Partners and Stakeholders: Parent Support Partner, Community Role Model (e.g., Deaf Adult, Blind Adult, Autistic Adult), Family Support Group.
6. Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention
- (i)
- Commencement of intervention as close to birth as possible to leverage optimal brain plasticity during the early months and years of life;
- (ii)
- Adoption of a family-centered approach that is based on collaborative partnership with the family, recognizing them as the most important and consistent element in the infant’s life;
- (iii)
- Recognition that early intervention is most effective when conducted in the natural environment (home) of the child and family, utilizing daily routines and activities as contexts for learning;
- (iv)
- Provision of unbiased information tailored to the family’s goals, enabling them to make informed choices for their child’s development;
- (v)
- Emphasis on communication and language at the core of the early intervention program, fostering trusting and responsive socio-emotional relationships within the family while laying foundations for the child’s cognitive development [54].
7. Evidence-Based Practice in a Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention Program for Families and Their Children with Deafness in a LMIC: A South African Case Study
8. Conclusions
“governments have the responsibility to respect and fulfil the human rights of all citizens, including children with developmental disabilities” who “should enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedom on an equal basis with other children” including “equality in opportunities to grow up in nurturing environments and to access early learning and education … to develop to the fullest … to grow up in a family environment; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life, also recognizing the importance of family assistance and support”.(pp. 29–30)
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Störbeck, C. Early Childhood Development Is Not Enough: In Defense of Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Their Right to Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (In the Global South). Children 2024, 11, 606. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050606
Störbeck C. Early Childhood Development Is Not Enough: In Defense of Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Their Right to Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (In the Global South). Children. 2024; 11(5):606. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050606
Chicago/Turabian StyleStörbeck, Claudine. 2024. "Early Childhood Development Is Not Enough: In Defense of Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities and Their Right to Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (In the Global South)" Children 11, no. 5: 606. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050606