Small Steps
Small Steps describes the developmental steps of a typically-developing child in chronological order up to the age of 4 years. Each step (skill) is described in detail and includes instructions on how to assess and teach your child the skills. It allows you to quickly identify where your child is in his development and which skill you should be teaching him next (and how).
Small Steps is based on the Macquarie Program for Developmentally Delayed Children. This program was originally developed at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) in 1980 when early intervention was not yet widespread and families often lived far away from centres providing these services. It was Australia’s first early intervention program and has had a deep and lasting influence on work with young disabled children throughout Australia and beyond.
Because Small Steps was designed as a complete overview of a child’s development, the information on this website can be used as a stand-alone therapy program for early intervention at home. However, it is for your child’s benefit that the information on this website is implemented in collaboration with professional early intervention providers (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists etc).
The child who is already receiving a teaching progam from another source could be confused by contradictions in objectives or approach. We suggest that you discuss any aspects of the information you find on this website that interest you with any professionals with whom you are involved.
| Key principles of Small Steps |
| All children can learn. The intellectually disabled child learns more slowly, but he or she can learn |
| Disabled children need to learn the kinds of skills that all children learn and use – skills which will help them to play, to interact with others, to achieve maximum independence and to be part of the community |
| The parents are the child’s most important teachers |
| The early years are crucial for learning. Teaching should begin as soon as possible after a problem is recognised – hence the term early intervention |
| Well-designed assessment and teaching techniques promote more efficient learning |
| Every child is different and every family is different. A successful program must meet the needs of both the child and the family |
The information on this website comes directly from the original Small Steps books, which are no longer available for sale. You should be able to find the original books through your state library, however, the printed format is not very user friendly. Furthermore, this website has been reviewed by one of the original authors of Small Steps and has been updated in various places. Although the core of the original Small Steps resources continues to be relevant, some changes have been made …xyz…