Störbeck Claudine
The Wits Centre for Deaf Studies, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.
Children (Basel). 2024 May 18;11(5):606. doi: 10.3390/children11050606.
The international recognition of the critical importance of the early childhood phase has been firmly established through decades of rigorous research, evidence-based practices, and undeniable evidence of the returns on investment made during this formative period. Consequently, early childhood development has emerged as a top priority on both national and international agendas. This momentum reached a pinnacle in 2015 with the unanimous adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations, which placed a particular emphasis on children under the age of five within the education-focused SDG 4, notably target 4.2, centered on ensuring that all girls and boys are ready for primary education through the provision of accessible "quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education". However, the Global South reflects the glaring omission of addressing the needs of children at risk of poor development due to disabilities. This paper underscores the imperative for specialized early childhood intervention tailored to young children with disabilities and their families, commencing as early as possible following birth. It advocates for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) as a service distinct from general Early Childhood Development (ECD), emphasizing the crucial role of families as active partners from the outset. Furthermore, the paper strengthens the case for Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention (Fc-ECI) through the integration of evidence-based practices and an in-depth description of one such program in South Africa with specific reference to deaf and hard-of-hearing infants and their families. This model will be guided by core concepts outlined in WHO and UNICEF Early Childhood Intervention frameworks. Through this exploration, the paper aims to shed light on the urgent need for inclusive approaches to early childhood development, particularly for children with disabilities, and to advocate for the adoption of Family-Centered Early Childhood Intervention as a cornerstone of global efforts to ensure the holistic well-being and development of all children.
几十年来，经过严谨的研究、基于证据的实践以及这一成长阶段投资回报的无可辩驳的证据，幼儿期的至关重要性已在国际上得到了坚定确立。因此，幼儿发展已成为国家和国际议程的首要优先事项。这一势头在2015年达到顶峰，联合国一致通过了17项可持续发展目标（SDGs），其中在以教育为重点的可持续发展目标4中特别强调了五岁以下儿童，尤其是目标4.2，其核心是确保所有女童和男童通过提供可及的“优质幼儿发展、照料和学前教育”为小学教育做好准备。然而，全球南方地区明显忽视了满足因残疾而面临发育不良风险的儿童的需求。本文强调了为残疾幼儿及其家庭量身定制专门的幼儿期干预措施的紧迫性，这种干预应在儿童出生后尽早开始。它主张将幼儿期干预（ECI）作为一项有别于一般幼儿发展（ECD）的服务，强调家庭从一开始就是积极伙伴的关键作用。此外，本文通过整合基于证据的实践以及深入描述南非的一个此类项目，特别是针对失聪和听力障碍婴儿及其家庭的项目，强化了以家庭为中心的幼儿期干预（Fc - ECI）的理由。该模式将以世界卫生组织和联合国儿童基金会幼儿期干预框架中概述的核心概念为指导。通过这一探索，本文旨在阐明幼儿发展采用包容性方法的迫切需求，特别是针对残疾儿童，并倡导采用以家庭为中心的幼儿期干预作为全球努力确保所有儿童全面福祉和发展的基石。
