Child development research has established that the rate of human learning and development is most rapid in the preschool years. Timing of intervention becomes particularly important when a child runs the risk of missing an opportunity to learn during a state of maximum readiness. If the most teachable moments or stages of greatest readiness are not taken advantage of, a child may have difficulty learning a particular skill at a later time. With intervention at birth or soon after the diagnosis of a disability or high risk factors, the developmental gains are greater and the likelihood of developing problems is reduced.
Early intervention services also have a significant impact on the parents and siblings of a developmentally disabled infant or young child. Outcomes of family intervention include: (a) the parent’s ability to implement the child’s program at home; and (b) reduced stress that facilitates the health of the family. Both of these factors appear to play an important role in the success of the program with the child.
A third reason for intervening early is that society will reap maximum benefits: the child’s increased developmental and educational gains and decreased dependence upon special education and other habilitative services later in life; the family's increased ability to cope with the presence of a developmentally disabled child; in some cases, the child being indistinguishable from typical classmates after intervention; and perhaps the child's increased eligibility for employment, all provide economic as well as social benefits.
UBI provides Early Intervention Services utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis on the Verbal Behavior Approach. This highly structured program clearly specifies and frequently monitors the child and family behavior objectives; precisely identifies teacher behaviors and activities that are to be used in each lesson; utilizes task analysis procedures; and regularly uses child assessment and progress data to modify instruction.
UBI’s purpose is to provide to provide preventive and/or remedial services and supports to children: (1) with established risk conditions, including biomedical risk factors, that have a high probability of leading to developmental delay if left untreated and/or (2) with developmental delays who qualify based on an assessment of need that has determined that there is a significant discrepancy between their expected developmental level and their current level of functioning.