The Ongoing Disparity Between Early Intervention Services and Those Who Need Them

Although early intervention (EI) services have been shown to be highly effective and beneficial for young children, only 12% of those who qualify at 24 months receive services (Feinberg et al., 2011). There is a myriad of barriers that impedes access to EI services for those who need them. These barriers include myths about development and intervention, parent’s concerns being ignored, social inequalities limited access to early intervention, systemic barriers within the professional world, unperceived benefits of intervention, and limited communication flow to parents. However, there are some supports that help more families access EI services including doctors, early interventionists, and the prevalence of screeners. If there is a greater focus on intentionally filling the gap between early intervention services and those who need them, we could see more children receiving speech/language/communication services. Further suggestions for this are also discussed