Prof. Dr. Armin Sohns

1. Prof. Dr. Armin Sohns „New Challenges in the Framework of the Early Childhood Intervention” National Conference of the Budapesti Korai Fejlesztö Központ regarding the general issue of “quality” in Early Childhood Intervention, Budapest, 16th of April 2009

2. Early Intervention? • Our societies are changing and with it the requirements of development for our children. There is necessity for Early Childhood Intervention, to estimate the current situation among the rising need and delineate the functional requirements on a family-oriented Childhood Intervention. At this junctur the particular impact lies on neighbouring offers of assistance and a specific transdisciplinary framework.

3. General questions • 1. Which social changes and professional demands should a reformed system of Early Childhood Intervention meet? Which causes lead to these changes and how is Early Childhood Intervention able to interfere? • 2. What characterized systems of Early Childhood Intervention so far? Where and with which aim should they be modified? Concretly for Germany: • 3. To what extent does the “complex effort”, given by the legislative body, act as an answer of new requirements? In which way should it be constructed to meet these demands?

4. The change of indicators for children in facilities of Early Childhood Intervention as an initial position for change: • By enhancements of functional perceptions • by reason that the children and their social environment has changed

5. Kiggs • 20% of the children (also the under 3 year old) show mental disorder, by 5% of all children the ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is diagnosed, other 5% show symptoms in this regard • barely 50% of our children are at least without only one health impairment. • there is an exceedingly high impact of economic, social and occupational living conditions

6. Kiggs 2006 / 2007 • Increase of multiaxial exacerbating factors (single parent, conflicts between parents, disaffection of the parents etc.) • Particular risks within the infancy, especially regulatory disorders (e.g. excessive screaming; that has -in interdependency- an impact on the parent-child relationship • Particular dependancy on parental didactics (intuitive communication), which is interfered with other factors like mental pressure, dolor, depression or divided attention • Regulatory disorders correlate with limited competences of parental relations and upbringing (absence of flexibility, distortion of sense and interpretation, aggressive or neglected behaviour, specific risk factor e.g. parents suffering from mental disorders)

7. Distortion of sense • Even though Kiggs has shown that only every 2. child is healthy, 90% of the parents appraise their child as (very) healthy. A distortion of sense is reflected by the parents, which don´t realize the risks and problems in the child development – a typical feature of the phenomenom of child neglect.

8. basic needs • In a classical pyramid of needs fundamental securities and skills are build on each other. To absorb knowledge and education, fundamental needs have to be satisfied first.

9. Encourages like ,reading a book‘ are far more concise for the intellectual development unlike peri- and prenatal risk factors • Comprehensive education studies and neurological research results (e.g. mirror neuron) emphasize the formative position of points until the first years of age: „the race is halfway run when children begin school“. • Fundamental neurological foundations are emerging or atrophying during infantile communication: “Use it or lose it“.

10. social climate • mother knows best, what is good for the child. • children belong “into the family” • society and economy profit " in a parasitic way“ (Hurrelmann) from them through no paid care and education they give to their children, especially of those mothers

11. Reduction of family-oriented approaches of work • The change in childish risks of development is getting obvious through the increasing demand for Early Childhood Intervention • The primary response of the municipal rehabilitating institutions to the increasing demand for Early Childhood Intervention and the cost increase is foundet in the restriction and cutback of individual performances and qualitative standards.

12. studies of children in school enrolment in the county of Nordfriesland • 41% (of all interviewed children) obtain a procedure of Early Childhood Intervention • 25% of all children in kindergartens from 3 to 6 years receive a therapeutically intervention • 10% of the children which are looked after through an Early Childhood Intervention institute • the need of Early Childhood Intervention is associated with the educational background of the mother

13. evaluations from a survey in the city of Neubrandenburg • 75% of the children had no aid through Institutions of Early Childhood Intervention, even though they received the diagnosis “special educational need”. 25% of the children didn´t receive any technical assignment and expertise • We have to assert, that the necessity is not captured sufficiently by the system of Early Childhood Intervention.

14. The question is, whether the system of help is actually aligned to those who need help at most. • Furthermore we have to ask, if the help of Early Childhood Intervention has the wherewithal clearance required to act family-oriented.

15. Early Aid Concepts • traditionally based on an individual support of the “affected” child, mostly in a therapy center • Therefore help cannot be arranged at the point, where it would be most striking: In the lifeworld of families with their child in need of care.

16. Early Aid system • The system is inclined to show itself as an uncoordinated coexistence of support with vague competency, high bureaucratic obstacles and few concepts considering the environment and parties involved • During the phase of conceptualizing, the system of Early Childhood Intervention brings in a tradition of gainful approach under the perspective of a resource-management. The tradition developed from a deficit-oriented therapy to a family-oriented one.

17. Complex benefit • The organization of complex benefit shows within the last seven years, that the regulatory readjustment entailed that there is a discussion about Early Childhood Intervention in all ranks (ministries, local authorities, health insurance, governing bodies). For long years abstractors negotiated behind closed doors. The outcomes are predominantly disillusioning and terrifying.

18. The need for a paradigm change • Wherefore do we need a rigid classification? • Are there supportive offers beyond the stigmatization of a specific need? • Professional teachers must have an individual pedagogic perception, which focuses on particular interests and skills. This fact stands in opposition to the rigid German curriculum, which takes the experts to a uniform aid • If we designed a plan of special aid for each individual child in school, daycare or ambulant aid facilities, to assure the strenght and motivation of each child, there shouldn´t be a stigmatized label disabled-normal • Somechildren achieve more specific aid and suggestions in Early Childhood Intervention – in particular so called highly skilled children – and others need less individual aid. There is no need for administrative stereotypes anymore.