What is Early Intervention

This chapter focuses on an innovative interdisciplinary training to support preservice professionals in provision of early intervention services to young children with high-intensity needs and their families. A brief review of the literature on interprofessional education in early intervention/early childhood special education practice fields, adult learning, and case-based methods of instruction is presented. Building on that foundation, a two-year, interdisciplinary personnel preparation program is described, with specific emphasis on a two-day interprofessional training event. During the training interdisciplinary faculty and families delivered content on early intervention and used a progressing case study to allow students to apply newly learned content in interdisciplinary teams. Lessons learned and implications for future training to support interdisciplinary collaboration among professionals and families are discussed.