Service of Early Intervention in the Czech Republic and the Republic of Finland: an illustrative case study

Abstract

The study provides information on the conditions for delivering Early Special Educational Intervention for children with disabilities and other disadvantages aged from zero to six years and their families in the Czech Republic and the Republic of Finland. Data and information were collected using a questionnaire and supplemented by interviews with counsellors. The next step was the analysis and description of the information that had been collected. The study aimed not to compare early intervention services in terms of evaluation and better/worse findings. The study presents a comparison of the different parameters of the service at each of the national levels. In conclusion, the authors suggest some possibilities for modifying or expanding the early intervention service in response to the findings. The study should serve practitioners and academics alike as a resource for planning research and theoretical activities.