CONFERENCE THEME: Deepening Intervention Practices in the Early Years
Early Intervention focuses on providing support and services to young children and their families who are or have a risk of developmental delays due to a disability or medical condition. With the recommendations from the Inclusive Preschool Workgroup (IPWG) launched under the Enabling Masterplan 3 (EMP3) in 2021, early intervention services are designed accordingly to the child’s support level needs and are now increasingly available in Singapore within the child’s preschool, for those with low to medium level of needs. Children with high needs will continue to be served in early intervention centres with specialized support. There is a need for practitioners to examine current best practices in early intervention and reflect on how the future state of inclusive preschools will impact on knowledge, skills and attitudes that are required for early intervention professionals and their counterparts in the preschools to best support children with developmental needs in Singapore.

STRAND ONE: Early Intervention Approaches
The early years of a child’s development is considered the most critical period. For a child with developmental delays or disabilities, early intervention should begin as soon as possible. The five pillars of early intervention (Soong C.M. et al, 2019) are Family-Centred Practice, Natural and Inclusive Environments, Developmentally Appropriate Intervention, Functional and Active Child Engagement and Transdisciplinary Team Practice. In this conference strand, practitioners can share and learn about the current state of early intervention practices in three key outcome areas including 1)Children having positive social-emotional relationships; 2) Children acquiring and using knowledge; and 3) Children using appropriate behaviour to meet needs. There will also be a focus on innovative practices that are of need in the current landscape.

STRAND TWO: Strengthening Family, School and Community Partnerships
Effective collaboration amongst different partners within the daily environments of the child leads to better outcomes for the child and family. Increased generalisation of learnt skills in many different contexts also lead to higher levels of application and mastery of skills. Engagement between different stakeholders is key to establishing a positive working relationship. Collaboration can take the form of shared goals, a common understanding of strategies that will benefit the child’s development and close contact and/or communication that leverage on the use of technology. Initiatives that bring about and inspire closer collaboration among the different stakeholders in early intervention will also be the focus of this conference strand.

STRAND THREE: Support for Early Intervention Professionals
As the contexts where early intervention services are delivered broadens across the local landscape, early intervention professionals are also expected to strengthen their expertise across the breadth of professional development areas. Staff capability and well-being are paramount to building a sustainable early intervention professional workforce. This conference strand aspires for current practitioners and leaders to share best practices in coaching, mentoring and leadership development in the early years sector. Systems or structures that have been established within organisations to support EI professionals in their work can be highlighted as well. This strand is important as there is a need for us to strengthen support to the professionals who will shape the future of the early intervention in Singapore.