Carla, my niece, has been born. She is fifteen days old and has a world to discover; a multitude of sensations and stimuli will have to integrate little by little, through her brain in full development.
The Evolution of the Brain
The first sense, which practically reaches its final evolution right after birth, is hearing. However, the same does not happen with vision. During the first month of life, she only sees 10 percent, in black and white. At approximately two and a half months, she will begin to recognize the color red, followed by green, blue, and it is not until five months that she will be able to differentiate the color yellow. Her brain has reached 25 percent of its total weight, and at three months she will already be able to turn her head from side to side, keeping it in the midline, observing the environment in search of objects.
At six months, the maturation of the sensory systems will continue with the involvement of many cortical areas. Carla will be able to roll from tummy to back, grasp and suck on objects to explore them, and distinguish known sounds from unknown ones.
On her first birthday, and with a brain that will weigh 70 percent of its total weight, language begins to gain value, being able to use around five words, with different rhythms and tones, to the beat of her favorite music.
Brain plasticity is at its maximum during these moments, and we must take advantage of these years to foster the acquisition of motor, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional skills.
What is Early Intervention?
We understand Early Intervention, according to the White Paper (2000), as “the set of interventions aimed at the child population from 0 to 6 years old, their family, and their environment, which aim to respond as soon as possible to the transitory or permanent needs presented by children with developmental disorders or who are at risk of suffering from them. These interventions, which must consider the child’s overall well-being, must be planned by a team of interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary professionals.”
Developmental Disorders by Age
Babies with biological or social risk, who may have difficulties in the maturation of the central nervous system, with any of the following characteristics are those who: have a weight equal to or less than 1500 gr. or gestational age less than 32 weeks, APGAR test less than 3 at one minute or less than 7 at five minutes, mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours, neonatal seizures, meningitis, mother with HIV, drug addict or alcoholic, brain damage, chromosomal abnormalities, symptomatic neonatal hyperglycemia, sibling with unexplained neurological pathology, hydrocephalus, congenital infections, malformative syndromes, family history of visual or auditory problems, etc. They are attended with the purpose of preventing possible sequelae such as learning disorders, behavioral problems, adaptation problems, emotional disorders, and physical health problems.
Certain warning signs are observed from the first trimester, such as: absence of visual tracking, poor or absent smile, excessive crying, abnormal motility, persistent asymmetric tonic flexor reflex, adducted thumb in infants older than two months, absence of head control.
Between three and six months, babies who may have difficulties are those with: poor empathy, absence of cooing, indifference to their body, persistent asymmetric tonic-flexor reflex, not reaching for objects at 5-6 months, truncal hypertonia/hyperextension, cervical and truncal hypotonia, absence of supported sitting, not orienting to a bell.
Between six and nine months, infants who may present difficulties are those with: poor empathy, absence of pincer grasp and grip, poor visuo-manual coordination, persistence of primary reflexes, persistent cooing, without mono-bisyllables, absence of unsupported sitting, axial hypotonia, spasticity of lower limbs.
Between nine and twelve months, children who may show difficulties are those with: considered warning signs, repetitive, clumsy manipulation, involuntary movements, absence of sound and language repetition, abnormal reflexes, absence of standing.
Between 12 and 18 months, children who may develop difficulties are those who present: stereotyped manipulation, lack of initiative, not building a tower with blocks, not naming or pointing to objects, poor affectivity, not uttering any words, not crawling up stairs, absence of independent walking.
During recent years, the importance of family involvement in intervention has been emphasized, especially in cases of children with functional diversity. The collaboration of parents in brain stimulation programs will facilitate the proper development of the child’s abilities and subsequent adaptation to the social environment. Also, at an emotional level, the bond established with the child will benefit them if it allows them to explore the world feeling secure.
There are various Intervention programs, carried out in Child Development and Early Intervention Centers (CDIAT), in hospitals, clinics, schools, or at the child’s own home. Among them, we can cite, the Carolina Curriculum by Johnson-Martin et al. (1994), the motor area intervention program for children with Down Syndrome by Galiana, Sánchez, and Candel (1999), The Spectrum Project by Gardner, H., Feldman, D., and Krechevsky, M. (1998) on the theory of Multiple Intelligences. The Denver Early Start Model (ESDM) has proven effective in improving development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to a recent study. (Dawson et al., 2012)
Awakening their talents and reducing their limitations also depends on the adaptation of the environment regarding accessibility, technical, and economic aid so demanded by current society.
Glenn Doman, a globally recognized expert on early stimulation, tells us that “every child has the capacity to excel; it is only a matter of giving them the opportunity to bring out the intellectual potential they carry within.”