The situation

We first started working with “Lily” when she was just two years old. At that time, she did not yet have a functional way to communicate her wants and needs and needed significant support with early attending, interaction, independence and everyday skills.

What we did

Building the foundations early

Our early intervention programme was designed around Lily as an individual, breaking skills into small, achievable steps and continually adapting teaching to how she learned best. 

One of our biggest priorities was giving Lily a voice. From initially communicating by leading adults or through distress, she progressed to using an AAC device to independently communicate her wants and needs. Tribunal report 

Her programme has also focused on the foundations that make a difference to everyday life: joint attention, responding to her name, following important safety instructions, tolerating change, play, self-care and independence.

Early Years

The outcome

Some achievements may appear small from the outside but have had a meaningful impact on Lily and her family. She has learned to feed herself using cutlery and use the toilet, while gradual desensitisation work has helped her tolerate experiences such as nail care and successfully having a blood test.  

As Lily has grown, so has her programme. The focus continues to be on giving her the communication, independence, learning and life skills she needs for the next stage of her development. 

Her journey shows why early intervention is about more than teaching individual skills. It is about building strong foundations early that a child can continue to build on throughout childhood.

What Lily’s parents have to say

“Our experience with ABA Pathways and early intervention has been incredibly positive. As a parent I truly believe that accessing the right support early can make such an important difference to a child’s development and future. 

Early intervention gave Lily the opportunity to start building essential skills at a young age when she was still developing her understanding of the world around her. Rather than waiting for difficulties to become more established the team focused on helping her develop communication, independence, understanding, attention and everyday life skills step by step. 

One of the things I value most about early intervention is that it focuses on the individual child. Lily has always had her own way of communicating, learning and experiencing the world, and ABA Pathways took the time to understand this. Her programme has been built around her needs and strengths rather than expecting her to fit into one particular way of learning. 

We have seen how skills introduced through early intervention gradually become meaningful parts of everyday life. Being able to communicate what she wants ask for help or a break, understand instructions, tolerate changes, participate in activities and become more independent may sound like simple things, but for a child and family they can be life changing. 

Early intervention is also about giving a child the foundations they can continue building on as they grow. For Lily, the skills she has developed have supported her not only at home but also in her education and interactions with the people around her. Seeing her progress and watching her become increasingly able to express herself has been incredibly rewarding. 

ABA Pathways have supported us as a family throughout that journey. The team are patient, caring and genuinely invested in Lily. They listen to us as parents, celebrate her achievements with us and continue adapting her goals as she develops. 

Looking back, I am extremely grateful that Lily had the opportunity to receive early intervention. Every child’s journey is different but for our family having consistent individualised support from an early age has given Lily a strong foundation to continue learning, communicating and becoming more independent.”