Early intervention specialists work in a variety of settings and in different types of programs. They may be employed at public schools in the early childhood programs to oversee special services to the younger students. EI specialists often work in agencies such as Easter Seals or United Cerebral Palsy, sometimes doing home visits with families or seeing the child at a local center.
Every state has different requirements for early intervention specialists, and most have a few different routes to certification or licensing for EI specialists. All require at least a high school diploma and experience working with children under professional supervision, but usually with that limited amount of education and experience, a person would typically only be permitted to be an early intervention assistant.
Most programs and states require at minimum an associate's degree in child development or early childhood education and professional experience documented, and perhaps some special training provided either online or though seminars. However, to be a fully certified early intervention specialist, permitted to design programs and supervise services to children and families the best method is getting a bachelor's degree in child development, early intervention or a related field.
To become an early intervention specialist a person needs to take classes such as early childhood cognitive development, perceptual-motor development in infancy/early childhood, and social and emotional development of early childhood. Other courses will focus on how to do assessments, instructional technology in early childhood, medical-biological concerns in early intervention, exceptional child, special educational theories and models, linguistics/language acquisition and development, family models, and cross-cultural family studies. Field study classes may include working at a university child development lab or day care center, working in literacy programs or urban outreach centers, and developing curriculum for programs involving infants and young children.
To work in a childcare facility of any kind and to be licensed or certified in most states, a person must be fingerprinted and submit to a background check. Also, many states also do a check through their department of human or family services to see if there have ever been any reports filed against the person.
An early intervention specialist will need to take continuing education courses to maintain certification. Most states have a special program where EI specialists can earn continuing education credits. Some may be online courses, others may be weekend courses or specialized seminars. The goal is to keep the EI specialist abreast of new developments in the field and to stay professionally trained and motivated.