Overview

When we talk about early intervention, one question we are often asked is about the impact of the services provided. How can we demonstrate that children have made progress during their enrollment in early intervention? Like all states, Virginia is now gathering this information for all children, and the findings are reported by state and by locality.

This has given us a wonderful opportunity to expand and strengthen the Part C system by placing greater emphasis on typical child development in the context of three indicators: positive social-emotional skills, acquiring and using knowledge and skills, and taking appropriate action to meet needs. No longer will we be thinking about change in child development in terms of assessment tools – we are more interested in the developmental stage, rather than the discrete skill measured. We are more interested in how a child plays and interacts in a variety of settings, and how those developmental skills relate to the developmental skills of typically developing peers. The conversation will be guided by the observations and priorities of the family – so that areas of interventions are designed to be incorporated into typical routines and activities of the family.