The Power of Intervention

The right intervention for the right person at the right time

When children have a heart defect, they are at risk of delays or disabilities in their development. Appropriate interventions can reduce developmental challenges, and optimize developmental outcomes. Interventions are most effective when they are put in place early, when they are evidence-based and of high-quality, and when they are targeted to an individual's unique needs.

Why intervention?

All people can learn concepts and gain skills. Our brains are "plastic," which means they can grow, change, develop, and heal. The brains of young children are particularly plastic, and as a result, young children respond particularly well to teaching and training.

Early, appropriate, and targeted intervention takes advantage of the brain's amazing plasticity. Through intervention, people can build new skills, regain lost skills, and achieve personally-meaningful goals.

Hear about the power of intervention from Dr. Jane Newburger, MD, MPH

Cardiac Neurodevelopment Programs

Interventions across ages and stages

When professionals monitor the neurodevelopment of children with heart defects, they are able to connect families with exactly the interventions they need, exactly when they need them.

Cardiac neurodevelopmental programs and other developmental followup clinics can serve children and families by identifying risk categories, providing surveillance and screening, and referring families to neurodevelopmental evaluations and evidence-based interventions.

The Power of Intervention

Finding the right interventions

Every person with a heart defect is unique, with their own strengths and challenges. Families, professionals, and patients can collaborate to match interventions with people and needs.

Below, we have highlighted a few resources that help many people with heart defects. You can find more interventions within our guides, and on our resources page.

We invite you to explore options to discover which interventions are right for you, your patient, or your loved one.

Developmental Care

Developmental Care describes a set of practices that promote healthy development among hospitalized infants. When hospital providers use Developmental Care, they can help babies to stay calm and content, and to make developmental progress even as they are undergoing medical treatment. Family members are recognized as central care providers, and can promote healthy development through holding, feeding, and responding to a baby's cues.

Early Intervention

Early Intervention (EI) serves children ages 0, 1, and 2 who are at risk of developmental delay or disability. Nearly all babies and toddlers with CHDs qualify for EI. Through EI, families have access to services such as physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), speech and language therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), developmental support, and family training.

Special Education

When students have a disability that makes it hard for them to learn, they often qualify for Special Education. Special Education provides students with an individualized education plan (IEP), a document that describes their unique goals, services, and accommodations. Through Special Education, students can get access to services such as small-group learning, speech and language therapy, a classroom aide, occupational therapy (OT), or physical therapy (PT).

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) is a diverse discipline that focuses broadly on helping people to participate fully in all aspects of their daily life. OT can help many people with CHDs from infancy through adulthood, with skills as varied as using their hands, feeding skills, tolerating sensations, emotion regulation, self-care, and job skills.

Physical Therapy

Throughout the lifespan, patients with CHDs may require physical therapy (PT) to learn new skills, and to rehabilitate lost skills following an illness or injury. In early development, PT promotes motor development and attainment of motor milestones. Later in development, PT can promote healing and rehabilitation, reduce pain, and develop lagging skills in balance, strength, and coordination.

Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy (SLT) can help people throughout development with language and communication, as well as swallowing and eating. For many people with heart defects, speech and language therapy is a critical intervention to optimize their quality of life.

Psychotherapy

Having a chronic illness in the family can be stressful. Many people with heart defects and their family members get help to manage their thoughts and feelings. A good therapist can help people to develop coping skills, and to live with more calm and contentment.

Parent Guidance

Raising any child is hard. But raising a child with a chronic illness is even harder.

If you are like many parents, you may want help in deciding how to care for their child with a heart defect. Parent guidance may be just want you are looking for.

Find your developmental followup program

Developmental care is usually best when it is local. Use this map to find your closest cardiac neurodevelopmental follow-up program.

Do you know of a program we have missed? Email us at CNPschedulingandquestions@childrens.harvard.edu and we will gladly add your program to the map.