The Union Social Justice and Empowerment (SJE) Ministry on Thursday launched 14 cross disability early intervention centres across the country to provide support to infants and young children at risk of or with disabilities.
SJE Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually inaugurated the centres that are located at seven national institutes and seven composite regional centres of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
“Research studies suggest that early childhood [0-6 years] is a time of remarkable brain development… Early intervention can provide specialised support and services for infants and young children at-risk or with disability and/or developmental delay and for their families to help them in their overall development, well-being and participation in family and community life,” a DEpwD ( Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities) statement said.
Through the centres, which have been started as a pilot, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are covered. The DEPwD said all its 21 composite regional centres would have early intervention centres gradually.
Among the services provided at the centres are screening of children and referral to appropriate rehabilitative care; speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy; parental counselling and training and peer counselling.