Every Child Can Achieve a Great Deal

Early intervention services in the Kleve region Every child can achieve a great deal Content History of early intervention services in the Kleve region ...................................................................... 4 Principles of the complex support service offered by the early intervention centre ...................... 7 From the first contact to the end of early intervention ............................................................................. 8 Our staff and equipment in our units ............................................................................................................. 10 Special education: looking at the person as a whole ................................................................................. 12 Physiotherapy: getting limbs moving ............................................................................................................. 14 Ergotherapy: feeling - grasping - handling .................................................................................................... 17 Speech therapy: language equals integration ..............................................................................................19 Help us to help you ............................................................................................................................................... 22 Published by: Frühförderstelle für den Kreis Kleve gGmbH Bury-St.-Edmunds-Straße 11 47623 Kevelaer Tel. 0 28 32-42 28 [email protected] www.ffs-kreiskleve.de Nebenstelle Kleve Bahnhofstraße 35a 47533 Kleve Tel. 0 28 21-93 699 [email protected] www.ffs-kreiskleve.de Photos: Binn Medienproduktion, Kevelaer Concept, text, design Eva Ehren Grafikdesign, Kevelaer History of early intervention services in the Kleve region An idea becomes reality „We are very happy that we are now able The early intervention centre started work in 1981. However, the basis for early intervention treatment was established ten years earlier and closely to offer interdisciplinary treatment and linked to the social commitment of various individuals. At the beginning that our holistic approach supports of the 1970s, the Kevlaerer paediatrician and the then chair of the Aktion St. Nicolaus e.V. charitable society, Dr. Ferdinand Helpenstein, started to not only the abilities of the children offer physiotherapy treatment to disabled children who were patients in we treat, but also their personalities. In his practice. At that time, the care provision system was not yet fully established and this meant that parents had to travel long distances to receive the first year of life, the capability treatment from qualified specialists. to learn and absorb is greater than in any In 1979, under the management of the then director, Sabine Augustin, the other stage of life.“ charitable association Lebenshilfe submitted a concept for the foundation of an early intervention centre for special education in the Geldern region. At almost the same time, Aktion St. Nicolaus also filed an application to set up an early intervention centre. On the suggestion of the then leader of the district council, Rudolf Kersting, a contract was drawn up under the directorship of the district administration in Kleve to merge these two ap- plications. The city of Kevelaer supported the scheme by providing suitable space so that the unit could quickly move out of its makeshift quarters in the old Town Hall. Various materials for renovation and initial furnishing of the buildings were secured through the Lebenshilfe charity campaign known as „Aktion Sorgenkind“ (now known as „Aktion Mensch“). Aktion St. Nicolaus remained responsible for the physiotherapy depart- ment, while Lebenshilfe ensured the provision of special education. The early intervention centre joined the Deutschen Paritätischen Wohlfahrts- verband (German Federation of Welfare Associations), an umbrella organisation for welfare organisations, and began to treat children from across the Kleve region. 4 The start of interdisciplinary treatment The basic idea behind this merger was to create a pioneering scheme for the cooperation of professional therapeutic and educational groups. The early intervention centre for the Kleve region therefore led the way for the interdisciplinary treatment of babies and small children across the country. Today, this kind of cooperative approach is recognised and practised every- where and is enshrined in law, specifically the SGB (Social Security Act) IX. Aktion St. Nicolaus fully supported the realisation of such a concept and participated in comprehensive training courses for the staff involved in treating the children. In 1995/6, the society funded the first renovations for the centre in Kevelaer almost exclusively out of its own pocket. In 2006, Aktion St. Nicolaus bought the building and it underwent complete renovation and modernisation. In 1989, thanks once again to the support provided by the „Aktion Sorgenkind“ campaign, a subsidiary unit was established in Kleve. The increased numbers of children being treated meant that more staff were needed, as well as an expansion of the original concept. In order to secure the future work of the centre, an association to support the centre was founded in 2001. In the summer of 2008, we were recognised as an „Interdisciplinary Early Intervention Centre“ (IFF) that provides a complex support service. This meant that we were contractually responsible along with the funding agencies (the welfare agency and health insurance companies) to provide support and treatment of children who have complex support needs. Establishment of a non-profit company On 1 September 2008, the early intervention centre became a non-profit company. This change to its legal status was neces- sary in order for us to be able to expand the concept and the number of staff, partly by ensuring a more professional approach to the centre‘s organisation. This means that the unit is no longer represented by a volunteer management board, but by a permanent executive board. 5 „Kneading with Elena is fun and red is my favourite colour.“ Principles of the complex support service offered by the early intervention centre Individual support from birth onwards A disability or developmental disorder can have many causes. This is why it is important to treat the child and his or her family holistically in order to give them the help they really need exactly where they need it. The early intervention centre for the Kleve region was one of the first units in the country to offer interdisciplinary treatment for babies and small children. Since 1 July 2007, we have managed our Interdisciplinary Early Intervention Centre (IFF) as a so- called ‚complex support service‘ in accordance with §§30 and 56 of the Social Security Act IX. This complex support service is aimed at babies and small children from birth to school age who have complex support needs and who require medical/therapeutic support as well as special educational support. This means that the children are treated using physiotherapy, ergotherapy and / or speech therapy at the same time as they receive special educational support. These measures can be implemented either at the same time, one after the other or alternately and with varying inten- sity. Further details on our specialist areas can be found on page 12 onwards. A doctor and psychotherapist complete our team Our in-house paediatrician and psychotherapist provide additional support and can be called upon both during initial diagnostic procedures as well as during the actual treatment. Our paediatrician specialises mainly in neurology and neurological development. In addition, she has chief responsibility for the treatment plan in interdisciplinary case meetings and is the medical officer who oversees all the therapeutic measures that are carried out in the early intervention centre. The psychotherapist not only diagnoses but also treats patients. In terms of psychological diagnostic procedures, the child‘s overall stage of development is looked at. Using special test procedures, we can try to find explanations for various disorders. The psychological results can then be incorpora- ted into the treatment plan as a whole. Depending on requirements, we also provide advice to parents on developmental support as well as giving them psychological support if their child is dia- gnosed with a disability. In this unit, we practise the systemic family concept. Systemic contexts and interpersonal relations in a group are used as the basis for the diagnosis and treatment of emotional problems and interpersonal conflicts 7 From the first contact to the end of early intervention Step by step towards our goal If parents have concerns about the development of their child, their first port of call is their paediatrician. The paediatrician decides whether early intervention is advisable for the child and writes a referral order (a „prescription“) for an initial diagnostic procedure for complex support services. The paediatrician must write this referral order using the M16 template to ensure that the costs for the treatment do not come from his or her own budget. In any case, no further treatments can be prescribed for the child during the entire period he or she receives complex support services - ex- cept for early intervention support. The text on the medical referral form must read: „Referral for initial diagnostic procedure for early intervention support.“ In addition, the doctor must give a reason why he/she thinks that special

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