Early Intervention Programs

As early intervention programs have grown in popularity and number over the years, several stand out as exceptional programs. Probably the best-known early intervention program for children is Head Start. The Head Start program was developed in 1965 by the federal government as an effort to combat poverty in the United States. Head Start contains A physical therapist massages a young boy by rolling him on an inflatable ball while another physical therapist steadies it. Early intervention strategies, such as physical therapy, can help children overcome developmental disabilities. (Owen Franken/Corbis) four basic principles: (1) the provision of a high-quality early childhood education; (2) the promotion of good health through the treatment of health problems and by providing children with good health care; (3) the active participation of parents in the programs in which their children participate; and (4) the use by families of social services in the community when needed. Head Start has expanded over the years and at the beginning of the twenty-first century included the Early Start Program, which serves infants and toddlers, and the American Indian Head Start and Migrant Head Start Programs.