The Early Intervention Seven Key Principles: Looks Like/Doesn’t Look Like in Paediatric Occupational Therapy
At Kids + Co.Lab, we are passionate about supporting young children and their families during their most critical developmental years. In paediatric occupational therapy, we use evidence-based approaches to foster growth and independence, ensuring therapy aligns with The Early Intervention Seven Key Principles. These principles serve as a framework to ensure our work is family-centred, functional, and effective.
Below, we explore what these principles look like and don’t look like in the context of paediatric OT.
1. Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts.
Looks Like:
Embedding therapy strategies into daily routines like mealtimes, play, and bedtime.
Encouraging parents to practice skills while reading a favourite book or during grocery shopping.
Using toys or tools already in the child’s environment.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Recommending unrealistic, time-consuming exercises that don’t integrate into daily life.
Relying solely on clinic-based activities without considering home or school environments.
2. All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children’s learning and development.
Looks Like:
Empowering parents by teaching them strategies they can use every day.
Providing resources tailored to the family’s unique culture and values.
Valuing family input during goal-setting and therapy planning.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Expecting families to implement rigid, therapist-designed activities without collaboration.
Overlooking the family’s perspective or cultural preferences.
3. The primary role of the service provider in early intervention is to work with and support family members and caregivers in a child’s life.
Looks Like:
Demonstrating techniques and encouraging caregivers to practice during sessions.
Addressing parents’ concerns and adapting strategies to meet their needs.
Building caregiver confidence in supporting their child’s development.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Directly working with the child for the entire session while caregivers observe passively.
Excluding caregivers from the therapeutic process.
4. The early intervention process, from initial contacts through transition, must be dynamic and individualised.
Looks Like:
Adapting therapy plans as the child develops or family priorities shift.
Regularly reviewing goals and progress with families.
Supporting smooth transitions to preschool, school, or other services.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Using a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach for every child.
Ignoring family concerns when they suggest changing goals or priorities.
5. Individualised Family Service Plan outcomes must be functional and based on child and family needs and priorities.
Looks Like:
Setting goals like “improve eating independence” rather than abstract skills like “improve pincer grasp.”
Prioritising goals that make a meaningful difference in the child’s and family’s daily life.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Creating goals focused on developmental milestones that don’t align with family needs.
Using overly clinical or irrelevant terminology in goal setting.
6. The family’s priorities, needs, and interests are addressed most appropriately by a primary provider who represents and receives team and community support.
Looks Like:
Collaborating with other professionals (speech therapists, psychologists) for holistic care.
Assigning one consistent therapist to lead and coordinate services for the family.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Sending families to multiple providers without communication or integration.
Providing fragmented care without a unified plan.
7. Interventions with young children and family members must be based on explicit principles, validated practices, best available research, and relevant laws and regulations.
Looks Like:
Keeping up to date with research and implementing evidence-based practices.
Regularly attending professional development and aligning therapy with the NDIS framework (if applicable).
Documenting therapy plans and progress with compliance to standards.
Doesn’t Look Like:
Using outdated or anecdotal methods without scientific backing.
Ignoring legal or ethical obligations, such as informed consent or privacy laws.
By adhering to The Early Intervention Seven Key Principles, we ensure that therapy at Kids + Co.Lab is inclusive, family-centred, and functional. These principles guide us in empowering families, tailoring interventions, and creating meaningful, lasting change for children during their most formative years.
If you’re looking for an early intervention Occupational Therapist that prioritises your family’s needs, reach out to us today! Let’s build brighter futures together.
Reference:
Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA). (2016). National Guidelines for Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention. Developed with support from the NDIS Sector Development Fund. Retrieved from https://www.ecia.org.au.
