Early intervention service

Early Intervention SERVICES counsellors help parents of children at risk because of a disability:

understand what special needs their child has
how they can support their child's development.

At the same time, they draw the attention of the child's parents to their own needs and the needs of other members of their family.

Early Intervention Service

provides support and accompaniment to the child with a disability and the whole family
shows parents how to support their child's development in their natural home environment during normal daily activities
creates a space for parents to meet in a safe environment for parent groups
communicates with other professionals in whose care the child is

accompanies the family during the child's transition to a nursery or primary school environment
provides information on the possibility of using state compensation (parental allowance, disability allowance, compensatory aids, etc.)
helps to build community

Counsellors and parents together:

At the first meeting

introduce the Early Intervention Service (EIS)
learn how a family with a child at risk lives their daily life
they learn about who each family receives support from (extended family, friends, doctors, other professionals, community...)
find out what the family's expectations of the SENCO are

At other meetings

focus on getting to know the child and his/her needs in relation to everyday life
counsellors help the family to navigate the information and understand the child's special needs

Counsellors and the family together

create individual plans in which the family sets goals for a more satisfying life
they take steps to achieve the goals, which they then evaluate after a period of time and set new ones.

THE early intervention SERVICE is a social service provided under the Social Services Act 448/2008 Z.z..

Questions and answers

Who all qualifies for early intervention as a social service?

Any family of a child aged 0-7 years whose development is at risk due to a disability is eligible for early intervention services. This service is regulated by Act No 448/2008 Coll. on Social Services. Eligibility for the service is confirmed by the general physician for children and adolescents.

If I have the support of early intervention service advisors, does that mean I no longer need outpatient specialists such as a physiotherapist, speech therapist, or special educator?

Early intervention service advisors do not replace other professionals working in the health or education departments. However, they complement their services by helping families better understand how they can get the most out of them for their child and their family. They help parents to transfer information from outpatient clinic professionals into their everyday lives.

What does it mean to accompany a family with a key advisor?

It means supporting the family in its decisions. A key advisor helps parents to be competent in caring for their child.

How will the meetings be run?

Meetings with the family take place mostly in the family's home environment, usually once a month. Depending on the current needs of the family, the key counsellor may invite an expert from the field of physiotherapy, special education and psychology, who are part of the Early Intervention Service team, to the meeting. In exceptional cases, such a meeting may also take place on an outpatient basis at the centre.

Is the early intervention service free?

Pursuant to Act No. 448/2008 Coll. on Social Services, the service is free of charge, but the family contributes to the overhead costs associated with the provision of the early intervention service according to the current price list.