International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

line decor
  
line decor

 Volume 13, Issue 7 (July 2026), Pages: 168-178

----------------------------------------------

 Review Paper

Examining early intervention models for children with disabilities: A systematic literature review

 Author(s): 

Mohd Muslim Md Zalli 1, 2, *, Beranda Yii Ping Jin 1, Hasrul Hosshan 2, Mohd Ridhuan Mohd Jamil 1, Abdul Rahim Razalli 1, Noor Insyiraah Abu Bakar 1, Waqas Mahmood 3

 Affiliation(s):

1Faculty of Human Development, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia
2Centre for Inclusive Research on Community and Disability, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia
3Department of Educational Training, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

 Full text

    Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0908-686X

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.07.016

 Abstract

This study aims to synthesize recent evidence on early intervention (EI) models for children with disabilities, focusing on developmental outcomes, accessibility, and family engagement, as these issues remain important for improving inclusive support systems. Using a systematic literature review design guided by PRISMA, records from Scopus and ERIC published between 2022 and 2024 were screened, and 22 studies were selected for thematic synthesis. The review identified three interrelated themes: family-centered practices, professional practices and innovations, and contextual and cultural dimensions of EI. The findings show that EI is more effective when caregiver participation is active, professional support is adaptable, and service delivery is responsive to local conditions. The review is limited by its restricted timeframe, inclusion of only English-language studies, coverage of two databases, exclusion of gray literature, and heterogeneity among the studies, which prevented a meta-analysis. The review contributes to the literature by integrating recent evidence across the relational, professional, and contextual dimensions of EI, which are often examined in isolation, thereby providing a more coherent and practice-relevant understanding of how intervention effectiveness is shaped across diverse settings.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Early intervention, Children with disabilities, Family engagement, Inclusive support, Systematic review

 Article history

Received 22 February 2026, Received in revised form 15 July 2026, Accepted 23 July 2026

 Acknowledgment

This research was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) Malaysia through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2024/SS10/UPSI/02/4). 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Zalli MMM, Jin BYP, Hosshan H, Jamil MRM, Razalli AR, Bakar NIA, and Mahmood W (2026). Examining early intervention models for children with disabilities: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(7): 168-178

  Permanent Link to this page

---------------------------------------------- 

 References (26)

  1. Abarca DL, Romano M, and Rodriguez E (2024). Latin American mothers’ first-hand accounts of a statewide early intervention model: A funds of knowledge approach. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 43(4): 306-319. https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214231158337   [Google Scholar]
  2. Al Rubaie NAM (2022). A proposal to activate the role of early intervention programs for the rehabilitation of mothers of children with Down syndrome, in light of the Saudi Vision 2030. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11: 18. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_468_21   [Google Scholar] PMid:35281388 PMCid:PMC8893096
  3. Al-Attiyah A, Dababneh K, Hamaidi D, and Arouri Y (2022). Employing assistive technologies in teaching children with disabilities in early childhood settings: Teachers’ perceptions. International Journal of Early Years Education, 30(2): 419-433. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2020.1863192   [Google Scholar]
  4. Ashengo AG and Dolisso DD (2023). Assessment of early identification & intervention practices: Focus on adaptive behavioural functions of children with intellectual disability. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 12(1): 73–84. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v12n1p73   [Google Scholar]
  5. Bagur S, Rosselló-Ramon MR, Paz-Lourido B, and Verger S (2024). Responses to the needs of families with children with disabilities in Spain: The voices of families and professionals. Acta Psychologica, 248: 104383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104383   [Google Scholar] PMid:39002432
  6. Bakar NIA, Dawi AH, Hashim ATM, Zalli MMM, and Suppian Z (2023). Transforming juvenile behavior through reward and punishment approaches. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 11(1): 37–46. https://doi.org/10.18488/73.v11i1.3244   [Google Scholar]
  7. Bhopti A, Brown T, and Lentin P (2022). Does family quality of life get better as the years go by? A comparative mixed‐methods study between early years and school‐aged children with disability in Australia. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 19(4): 379-395. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12433   [Google Scholar]
  8. Callanan J, Signal T, and McAdie T (2023). Involving parents in early intervention: Therapists’ experience of the parent child relationally informed-early intervention (PCRI-EI) model of practice. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 70(5): 674-687. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2021.1910933   [Google Scholar]
  9. Frugone-Jaramillo M and Gràcia M (2023). Family-centered approach in Early Childhood Intervention of a vulnerable population from an Ecuadorian rural context. Frontiers in Psychology, 14: 1272293. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1272293   [Google Scholar] PMid:38106379 PMCid:PMC10722162
  10. García-Ventura S, Mas J, Balcells-Balcells A, Dunst CJ, and Cañadas Pérez M (2023). Early childhood intervention practitioners’ competence and confidence appraisals using recommended practices and relationship with parent involvement. Anales De Psicología, 39(3): 415-424. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.528661   [Google Scholar]
  11. Guralnick MJ (2019). Effective early intervention: The developmental systems approach. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Baltimore, USA.   [Google Scholar]
  12. Howe E, Riggleman S, and Passmore A (2023). Evidence-based practices via remote service delivery for early intervention in rural communities. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 42(4): 202-212. https://doi.org/10.1177/87568705231189280   [Google Scholar]
  13. Johnson LD, Fleury V, Ford A, Rudolph B, and Young K (2018). Translating evidence-based practices to usable interventions for young children with autism. Journal of Early Intervention, 40(2): 158-176. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815117748410   [Google Scholar]
  14. Martínez-Rico G, García-Grau P, Cañadas M, and González-García RJ (2023). Telepractice in early childhood intervention: A parent-reported social validity scale. Psicothema, 35(3): 271-278. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2022.290   [Google Scholar] PMid:37493150
  15. Mas JM, Dunst CJ, Hamby DW, Balcells-Balcells A, García-Ventura S, Baqués N, and Giné C (2022). Relationships between family-centred practices and parent involvement in early childhood intervention. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 37(1): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2020.1823165   [Google Scholar]
  16. Neilsen-Hewett C, de Rosnay M, Singleton J, and Stouse-Lee K (2023). Supporting service integration through early childhood education: Challenges and opportunities in regional contexts. Frontiers in Education, 8: 1220658. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1220658   [Google Scholar]
  17. Rakap S, Balikci Ş, Gülboy E, and Kalkan S (2024). Effects of home-based coaching on mother’s use of milieu teaching strategies and child outcomes. Milli Eğitim Dergisi, 53(244): 2073-2108. https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.1256041   [Google Scholar]
  18. Robles‐Bello MA and Sánchez‐Teruel D (2022). The Family‐Centred Practices Scale: Psychometric properties of the Spanish version for use with families with children with Down syndrome receiving early childhood intervention. Child: Care, Health and Development, 48(4): 634-642. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12970   [Google Scholar] PMid:35048415 PMCid:PMC9306559
  19. Sarouphim KM and Kassem S (2022). Use of the portage curriculum to impact child and parent outcome in an early intervention program in Lebanon. Early Years, 42(4-5): 528-542. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2020.1818186   [Google Scholar]
  20. Shire SY, Shih W, Barriault T, and Kasari C (2022). Exploring coaching and follow-up supports in community-implemented caregiver-mediated JASPER intervention. Autism, 26(3): 654-665. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211066132   [Google Scholar] PMid:34961342
  21. Siller M, Morgan L, Wedderburn Q, Fuhrmeister S, and Rudrabhatla A (2021). Inclusive early childhood education for children with and without autism: Progress, barriers, and future directions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12: 754648. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754648   [Google Scholar] PMid:34777059 PMCid:PMC8585780
  22. Su X, Peng X, Liang L, Li Y, and Xie H (2023). A survey study on early detection of young children with disabilities in urban and rural areas of China. Child: Care, Health and Development, 49(6): 1019-1031. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13112   [Google Scholar] PMid:36869623
  23. Tarasun V, Melnyk N, Stepanova T, Dotsevych T, and Al-Mrayat O (2024). Directions and practices for implementing early care for children with developmental disabilities in the Ukrainian and Swedish ECEC systems. Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 12(2): 83–91. https://doi.org/10.6000/2292-2598.2024.12.02.4   [Google Scholar]
  24. Tupou J, Waddington H, and Sigafoos J (2022). Teachers’ perceptions of an early intervention coaching program. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 6: 506-520. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-022-00267-5   [Google Scholar]
  25. Vilaseca R, Rivero M, Leiva D, and Ferrer F (2023). Mothers’ and fathers’ parenting and other family context variables linked to developmental outcomes in young children with intellectual disability: A two-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 35: 387-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-022-09856-7   [Google Scholar]
  26. Yazıcıoğlu T and Akdal D (2023). An analysis of the effects of the Early Mathematics Intervention Program on early mathematics skills of pre-school children at risk. Participatory Educational Research, 10(1): 237-250. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.23.13.10.1   [Google Scholar]