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eating, bathing, etc. The specialist considers the fam-
ily’s needs and beliefs, and builds on their strengths,
knowledge, and skills. In addition to these home visits,
the specialists can also make visits to other natural
environments, such as nurseries, kindergartens,
playgrounds, etc.
Playgroup and support Network
The second service is the parent-toddler playgroup.
The playgroup offers an opportunity for parents and
children to interact with each other, learn through
play, meet new people, make friends, and have fun
together. Parents and specialists work together to
teach children new skills and habits (cognitive, motor,
speech, social). The playgroup sessions take place
at an appointed hour in a specially equipped play-
group room in the Karin Dom headquarters, including
age-appropriate toys. The playgroups provide an
opportunity for the children to socialize in a group en-
vironment, and thus be better prepared for inclusion
in a nursery or a kindergarten. In addition, the play-
groups provide an opportunity for parents to practice
new models of child-parent interaction.
The third service in the programme is the family
support network, which is designed to empower
parents to stand up for their rights and for the rights
of their children. The service provides information and
psychological/material support. The network includes
a group of parents (the “parent-on-call” group) who
have been trained to provide early support to families
who have recently learned about their child’s disabil-
ity. Other components of the network are a resource
library (containing toys, special aids, and books) and
formal and informal parent support group meetings.
The starting point of this service is when Karin Dom’s
Early Intervention Team receives a referral and
schedules a home visit. A screening tool is used to
assess the eligibility of the child for the Early Inter-
vention Programme; and during this first visit the team
explains the programme and discusses the family’s
concerns and expectations. During the following visits
the team performs a developmental assessment of
the child and records the specific needs of the family.
Based on this data, the family – together with the
team – decides on prioritized goals for the child and
for the family. The team then determines the objec-
tives for goal accomplishment. An “Individualized
Family Service Plan” is thus developed. Normally,
the plan is for a period of three to six months and
answers the questions “what, when, who, and how
often” regarding the services to be provided.
The Early Intervention Team also advises on organ-
izing the child’s environment, on developmentally
appropriate toys. and activities, and on interaction
with other children and adults. Toys and books are
left at the family’s home from the resource library for
a short time, as well as specialized readings upon the
parents’ request.
Importance of home visits
In the home visit programme, readily available toys
and other household resources are used so as not to
make parents dependent on equipment and materials
that are highly specialized and/or expensive. The
intervention team offers ideas and strategies on how
to use a particular toy, game, or routine in order to
The Early Intervention Team also
advises on organizing the child’s
environment, on developmentally
appropriate and activities, and
on interaction with other children
and adults
FACTS AND FIGURES:
Almost 1,000 home visits in 2015
Early Intervention Service Users
Year Number of
users per
year
New cases
per year
Closed
cases per
year
2015 149
80
52
2014 121
64
70
2013 142
87
68
Home visits
Year Number of home
visits per year
Number of single
consultations per year
2015 925
27
2014 801
21
2013 652
8
Children supported by the EIP
2015
2014
2013
95 boys
78 boys
87 boys
149
120
142
54 girls
42 girls
55 girls