EARLY INTERVENTION LISA GITLIN, MA CCC-SLP

Six years ago, while studying for my master's degree in Speech Language Pathology, I heard two words that still remain two of the most important words I use today: Early Intervention. Early intervention refers to the services both children and their families receive, between birth and school age, in order to lessen the effects of a particular condition. Little did I know that I would some day be talking to my own family about the impact of early intervention.

Last year, around his first birthday, my nephew was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. As a speech language pathologist, I had met maybe one or two families impacted by this syndrome. Although I had limited knowledge of Fragile X, I knew the first step for my nephew and our family was early intervention. Early intervention can involve various activities and therapies, such as speech language, physical, and occupation therapy, across a range of settings. From my experience, I knew it was best to involve both the child and the family together. I see early intervention as essential to enhance a child's development, provide support and assistance to the family, and to engage the child appropriately into society. Each of these issues is equally important in order to achieve the maximum level of success for both the child and the family.

Almost a year later, my nephew has made great gains. Although he has a long road ahead, he is that much closer to achieving his goals because of his continued success with early intervention.