Intervention and its Different Forms

Intervention services are forms of therapy, treatment, educational approaches and adaptive devices recommended by evaluators and practitioners intended to unlock the potential within every child. If your child has undergone a government-funded evaluation and qualifies for intervention services, the NYC Department of Health and NYC Department of Education will recommend an individualized intervention plan for your child.

What Forms of Intervention Are Best for My Child?

Generally there is no single intervention method that fully meets the needs of a child with significant developmental delays, and/or a diagnosis indicating developmental, learning, physical, or social differences. It is often a combination of tailored services that help a child to grow and flourish.

Because intervention strategies can vary widely, it is critical to understand (1) what services are being recommended for your child, (2) whether you feel supportive of these recommendations, and (3) whether your family is able to sustain implementation of intervention over the recommended period of time.

You as parents and primary caregivers are your child’s best advocates. Become informed of the range of intervention services and treatment programs listed below, and collaborate with specialists to develop an intervention plan that you feel would most benefit your child. You can also hire an educational consultant or special needs advocate for professional direction and guidance regarding intervention services for your child.

How Does Intervention Work?

Intervention is most fruitful when parents and families work in partnership with service providers and teachers to follow through on intervention goals collaboratively. Some forms of intervention may resonate more with your child and family over others, and what works for one child may not work as well as for another. Being flexible and trying different strategies in partnership with intervention service providers and teachers keeps the momentum going for your child towards continued growth.

Some families choose a more holistic, or “alternative” approach to treatment, whereas others may lean towards more traditional intervention approaches. And others may feel that a combination of both traditional and “alternative” methods is most effective in addressing the needs of their child. Deciding between approaches is a personal decision for families depending on individual levels of comfort with therapies and treatments. There is no right or wrong approach, as long as chosen intervention methods prove effective and helpful to your child, and family, over time.

If you have questions about specific forms of intervention, or want to learn more about the experiences of other families and children, you can visit a local family center, meet other parents at a parenting group or in a parent e-forum, or go to Urban Exceptional’s Facebook group to ask our community.

What Are the Different Forms of Intervention?

There are many different forms of therapies and treatments intended to meet the diverse needs of children with developmental, social and learning differences, many of which are interrelated. We welcome your feedback to keep this list relevant and current for families, please contact us with any comments and intervention service recommendations you may have. 

An * asterisk indicates intervention services typically funded by the NYC Department of Health and NYC Department of Education. Download here for a PDF version of this list.