Efficacy of Early Stimulation and Intervention in Treatment of Children with Multiple Disabilities- A Case Study

Authors: [1] K. Anjana [2] Kadambari Naniwadekar [3] Shobha B.N

Pages: 52-54

Abstract:

Early stimulation and intervention plays a vital role in the rehabilitation of children with multiple disabilities. Children with multiple disabilities often lack in overall development which includes motor, cognitive, and social-emotional and communication. Several researches in the field of special education have demonstrated tremendous improvement in children with multiple disabilities that have undergone early stimulation activities. Studies by Michael J. Guralnick (1997) and Casto.G., & Mastoprieri.M. (1985) have demonstrated the effectiveness of early intervention on development of cognition along with various other skills and the long term positive effects of the same. The present study talks about a child with multiple disability, who was brought to Early Intervention Program at AIISH, Mysore at the age of 9 months. At that time the child was brought to the program with complaints of lack of eye-contact, inability to sit, inability to move hand (crossing midline), no-social smile etc. After assessing the child on Assessment Checklist for Preschool Children with Communication Disorders and with 1.9 years of rigorous intervention, by rehabilitation professionals including trained special educators from department of special education, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists at AIISH and the mother, the child is now able to respond to his name call, by lifting his head. The child is also able to sit without support and uses his hands for performing various activities and has improved in other domains too. The study hence, reiterate the fact that early infantile stimulation and intervention can lead to better rehabilitation of children with special needs.