Early Intervention

Early Intervention program in Mali dom - Zagreb includes (re) habilitation procedures for children with visual impairments with or without additional disabilities, from birth to three years.

• Early support system should start as early as possible in order to provide timely help for parents and children.
• Quality and professional support encourages optimal development and prevents possible risks.
• Intervention must be a balanced and planned process in which rehabilitative procedures designed to improve the child's skills are applied along with the strategies to minimize the 
• negative effects of disabilities on child's development.

After Interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary Assessment is conducted, child is involved in the Early Intervention program at Mali dom or referred to other programs depending on the needs of the child.

• Expert team provides a plan of support for the child and family and chooses the therapist who will be regularly visiting the family.
• Safe and relaxed family environment allows full implementation of education and rehabilitation procedures in the daily life of the child.

An expert in Early Intervention:

• carries out the individual plan,
• points out the child's abilities,
• adapts activities and means to a specific childgives suggestions for decorating the space in which the child resides,
• provides support to parents in the implementation of activities (gives information and presents the implementation of activities)
• observes and evaluates child over a longer period of time,
• focuses on the implementation of activities that will affect the optimal development of the child,
• provides a balance of several development areas (communication, cognitive development, social - emotional development, sensory integration, motor development).  

Early Support program primarily takes place in the child's home but  also some activites are center based. Parents come with a child to our Center to  take part in „Experience groups“, Swimming pool activities and some other activities they can be advised to take part in  according to assessment of child's needs or families needs. Professionals involved in the provision of additional activities are a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, a speech therapist, a kinesiologist and special education teacher.


Procedures / activities that are center – based:Physical therapy according to Bobath concept, Vojta concept, Osteopathic approach and techniques of Kinesio Taping.

• Sensory integration;
• Therapeutic swimming;
• Stimulation of  fine motor skills development;
• Stimulation of orofacial motor skills (sucking, chewing, ...);
• Stimulation of emotional communication and parent/child interaction;
• Stimulation of early communication.

Following the recommendations of an expert team, children in Early Support program get included in the „Experience Group“  that is a part of Early Intervention program.

• Children and parents come to the group meetings once a month or more frequently depending on the age of the child and family needs.
• In younger age groups (0 - 1 year), the emphasis is on providing support to families, and for children older than 1 year on learning through experience and new situations with parents.
• Different areas of education and rehabilitation activities are geared towards the self concept development, sensory integration development, development of body image, social and emotional skills, fine/gross motor skills, cognition, speech/communication, independence in everyday activities and overcoming the separation from parents.