Abstract:

In the context of early childhood intervention in Portugal, this paper aims to report the results of an empirical study regarding family-centered and transdisciplinary approaches. The study compares legislative instruments, policy papers and Portuguese research to analyze the effectiveness and adoption of these strategies. Besides document analysis, the study also includes interview and observation data, offering an exhaustive description of present practices and issues in the Portuguese early intervention system.

Portugal has been identified as a country implementing good practices in early childhood intervention according to Eurlyaid (The European Association on Early Childhood Intervention). This empirical study of the Portuguese system serves as a rich source of information on the implementation of family-unit and transdisciplinary approaches. The study reveals strengths and weaknesses of such approaches when incorporated into the national setting, which could help other countries to learn from.

The Portuguese case is based on a comparative study that involves Italy and Latvia as well. This broader study will therefore seek to explore and compare the early childhood intervention experiences of these three countries. Recommendations that emerge from this comparative analysis will form the basis for strengthening Latvia’s early childhood intervention system that is still in its formative stages. This way Latvia would be able to avoid some of the mistakes that have been observed in Portugal and Italy and therefore improve the early childhood intervention services.

An integrated early childhood intervention service plan establishes a basis for an array of service provisions in the health, social, educational, and development domains. In situations where developmental issues appear or are suspected it is beneficial to act as soon as possible helping a child to progress in all aspects. At the moment, Latvia is developing a new early intervention system for children which is expected to be launched by 2029. This development is currently being done in consultation with models and approaches from other countries including the Portugal and Italy.

The findings of this research are significant for other nations interested in strengthening their early childhood intervention polices and practices. Hence the study serves as a point of reference for policy makers and practitioners because it provides a detailed account of Portugal’s system. These experiences can inform other countries on how to critically evaluate and enhance the approach to early childhood interventions in a bid to improve the welfare and wellbeing of children and their families.

Keywords:

Early childhood intervention, Portugal, family-centered approach, transdisciplinarity.