9.2 Lack of early detection and intervention There is no evidence of any early detection and intervention initiatives. It is estimated that there are about 2,250 children with disabilities who require specialist services (EDC 2009). Children with disabilities experience environmental and social barriers which restrict their ability to participate in normal childhood activities including self-care, play and education. A recent screening exercise in a school identified a child enrolled in a school who had not expressed a single word in the four years spent in school (verbal communication). However, the class teachers had not reported or taken any intervention initiatives. This is an example of the kind of neglect prevailing in the country. Maximum development and full potential for children with a disability are achieved when early intervention strategies are implemented in the first three years of life (FirstSigns 2001). Early intervention can improve the quality of life and brighten the future for many children who are considered at risk of cognitive, social, or emotional developmental delays. It can lessen the impact a developmental disorder has on the family. It can lead a child to greater independence, better participation in the community, and a more productive life. It also has been found that early support and intervention are highly effective in preventing or reducing the level of more intrusive interventions at later stages (AIHW 1997). In some cases, effective intervention can ameliorate conditions once thought to be virtually untreatable such as ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES autism(FirstSigns 2001). Focusing more on early intervention ensures that needs can be met ... 62 and managed before they become acute or secondary disabilities arise. Early intervention services includes therapy, education, health services, inclusion support in early childhood services, formal and informal family support, information and referral and the provision of information and support for transition into school systems (TheNucleusGroup 2002). An Early Intervention Initiative can be designed to: assist parents to access appropriate supports for their children; strengthen the family’s capacity to support their child’s growth and development; enable the participation of the family and child in their local community life; use the family and child’s environments as settings to provide the best opportunity to promote early childhood learning; provide specialist knowledge and information for the family with regard to the child’s disability, strategies to support their child and available service options to meet their needs; provide individualised services at a local level, in collaboration with the child’s family and other significant people within the child’s life, that will promote quality childhood experiences and enhance their community participation.