The Early Intervention Service
Service Description
The Early Intervention Service at St. Ignatius College is a comprehensive support system for children with developmental disabilities or delays. The service is offered to children between the ages of 0 and 5 and is provided in homes, childcare centres, and schools (K1 and K2). The St. Ignatius College Early Intervention Team consists of two practitioners, namely:
- Ms. Claudianne Camilleri (ESP: Resource Worker)
- Ms. Kylie Camilleri (ESP: Resource Worker)
The Early Intervention Team collaborates closely with other professionals including educators, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and the college psychosocial team. The aim of the service is to provide timely support to children to minimize any delays or difficulties and maximize the chances of reaching typical developmental milestones. The main targeted development areas include:
- Physical (gross and fine motor skills),
- Communication and Language,
- Self-Help, Social & Emotional,
- Cognitive (reasoning, problem-solving, memory and attention), pre-numeracy and pre-literacy skills.
The service also aims to enhance learning environments for children by providing support in early childhood settings and in-class support to school aged children in Kinder 1 and Kinder 2, together with support and guidance to parents on how to enhance their child’s development.
A child is eligible for this service if s/he is aged 0-5 years and presents:
- Developmental delays in two or more areas of development (Motor, Communication, Self-Help Skills, Social & Emotional, Cognitive; and/or,
- A diagnosed condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental difficulties such as: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome; Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida.
The service operates through an open referral system: parents, carers, health, or educational professionals can fill in a referral form together with obtaining parent consent. Should any educator notice any student exhibiting difficulties, please discuss with the SMT and Early Intervention Team member in the school to proceed with the referral.