Early Intervention Phase

(Birth – Age 5)

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• Focus: Foundational skills, communication, reducing early maladaptive behaviors.

• Goals:

  • Increase functional communication (requests, gestures, vocalizations).

  • Build joint attention, imitation, and play skills.

  • Teach basic self-help skills (toileting, dressing, feeding).

  • Reduce problem behaviors (tantrums, aggression, self-stimulatory behaviors).

• Setting: Typically home-based or in early intervention centers.

• Intensity: Often 25–40 hours per week depending on child’s needs.

Preschool/School Readiness Phase (Ages 3–7)

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• Focus: Transitioning into structured learning and peer interactions.

• Goals:

  • Pre-academic skills (letters, numbers, shapes, colors).

  • Following group instructions, attending to a teacher, turn-taking.

  • Social skills with peers (greetings, sharing, cooperative play).

  • Self-regulation and coping strategies for frustration.

• Setting: Can be in-home, clinics, or integrated into preschools.

• Overlap: Often coordinated with early school IEPs.

School-Age/Skill Building Phase (Ages 6–12)

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• Focus: Academic, social, and adaptive living skills.

• Goals:

  • Support with classroom routines, homework, and organizational skills.

  • Expanding conversational language and reciprocal play.

  • Teaching executive functioning (planning, problem-solving).

  • Building independence in hygiene, chores, and community safety.

• Setting: School collaboration becomes more important. May include after-school ABA support.

​Adolescence/Independence

Phase (Ages 13–18)

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• Focus: Self-advocacy, independence, and transition planning.

• Goals:

  • Coping with puberty, social relationships, and self-identity.

  • Vocational readiness (job skills, interview practice, responsibility).

  • Money management, transportation, and self-care.

  • Reducing high-risk behaviors (elopement, aggression, inappropriate social behavior).

• Setting: Community-based programs, home, school. Often integrates with vocational services.