As early as possible

McKenney, S. (2013). As early as possible. Invited key message address at the Inclusive Education in Europe conference November 18, Brussels.Regardless of whether a child develops special needs over time or has them from birth, research clearly indicates that the sooner special needs are detected and tended to, the greater the impact of services. Thus, for both the quality of care to children, and the rate of return on investment, timely action is crucial. Success or failure in achieving timely action hinges on many factors, but three processes in particular are highly influential for enabling children’s needs to be addressed as early as possible: detection and assessment; intervention; and support