It is always easier…to manipulate the child to fit the theory than to adjust the theory to suit the child-provided, of course, one is very careful not to look at the child.

- Judith Groch

Early intervening is a term closely tied to the ESEA Act of 2002 and is often confused with early intervention. These are two very different initiatives, although, to be fair, both are about intervening early. Early intervention is for babies and toddlers with disabilities; Early intervening services are about catching early school-aged children's struggles. Early intervening is aimed at grades K-12, with an emphasis on K-3. Early intervening is about identifying children who are struggling to learn—especially apparent in the early grades and in tasks like reading and math—and quickly intervening to provide support. Under IDEA 2004, school districts may use up to 15% of their Part B funds to develop and provide early intervening services to children who are not currently identified as “children with disabilities” but who need academic or behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. Early intervening services are not services designated for children with disabilities—in fact, if a child has been determined eligible for special education and related services, that child would not be eligible for early intervening services.

Early intervening includes an overarching philosophy toward:

• Preventing unnecessary academic failure;
• Implementing evidence-based interventions for all students;
• Preventing unnecessary referral to special education; and
• Using prevention rather than reaction to student difficulties.

skills important to classroom success can be developed and reinforced. Improving children’s academic success frequently improves their behavior and vice versa, so providing appropriate services as early as possible makes good sense and is sound educational policy.

There are many students in our educational systems who struggle in school each day. Attending to their needs in a timely manner is critical to their success. Today’s educators work hard to help students with a wide variety of needs. Effective school systems go the extra mile to support students who are considered to be struggling, based on ongoing assessments of their progress. Moreover, educators and school communities who focus on equity take extra measures to ensure policies and programs that are proactive. They use coordinated, early intervening services tailored to a student’s individual needs to help prevent a child’s problems from ever developing into a disability, and offer additional academic and behavioral support to ensure student success in the general education environment.

For questions or comments on this newsletter, please email the editor of this newsletter – Miranda Kucera (miranda.kucera@asu.edu).

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