Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers with Developmental Delay, Disability, and Behavioral Health Considerations

Dear Colleagues,

Early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities, developmental delay, or with behavioral concerns is critical in shaping the future of these young lives. The significance of identifying and addressing developmental challenges in the earliest stages cannot be overstated. It not only paves the way for better outcomes but also embodies a compassionate and inclusive society.

Early intervention provides infants and toddlers and their families with the services needed to promote development during the early years of life when the brain is at its most malleable. This is an opportune time to stimulate neural pathways and facilitate growth in essential areas such as communication, motor skills, and social interactions. Timely intervention can mitigate developmental delays, providing activities to promote functional and meaningful participation in everyday activities.

Early intervention offers invaluable support to parents, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to advocate for their child's needs and become active participants in their growth and development. In doing so, it fosters stronger bonds within families and promotes a sense of inclusion and acceptance in the broader community.

The field of early intervention has grown exponentially over the last few decades. Research indicates that services that are delivered in partnership with families and other caregivers within activities that children regularly experience is the most effective. Early intervention reduces the long-term societal costs associated with disabilities. By addressing developmental challenges early on, we reduce the need for more intensive and expensive interventions later in life. This not only saves resources but also enhances the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight recent advances in the field of early intervention for young children with disabilities.

This Special Issue of Healthcare is soliciting manuscripts addressing topics related to strategies, initiatives, and interventions designed to promote contemporary early intervention practice. Original articles and reviews on intervention, professional development, and policy, as well as on the evaluation of EI strategies, are invited. Papers that focus on research, leadership, education, and advanced practice are of particular interest. Papers that explore professional development and administrative methods will also be considered. We are particularly interested in papers that explore the intersection of disability and behavioral healthcare and team-based practices. Papers that explore international perspectives, especially those from low- and middle-income countries and areas of conflict, are also of interest.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Prof. Dr. Toby Long
Dr. Neal Horen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• early intervention
• young children
• disabilities
• developmental delay
• behavioral healthcare
• infant and early childhood mental health consultation