Principles of early intervention.

The great majority of children with neurodevelopmental challenges do not get specific intervention until after their second birthday. This worsens their outcomes, because a great part of the entire neuroplastic window for learning is misspent. There is emerging evidence that the impact on outcomes of early goal-directed training involving the parents in infants with neurodevelopmental disabilities is significantly superior to the results achieved in older children and adults, especially if intervention commences in the first months of life. This chapter outlines the common elements of neurodevelopment and early intervention. It includes an outline of some of the primary early intervention practices and the scientific evidence driving them.