Early Intervention Behaviour Support & Positive Habits

Sam (name changed for privacy) is a highly determined and energetic three-and-a-half-year-old boy with a deep love for dinosaurs and sensory play. However, Sam was struggling significantly to adapt to everyday routines and expectations.

Instead of following simple instructions like packing away his toys or getting dressed, Sam had developed a habit of engaging in severe avoidance behaviours. When asked to transition to a new activity, he would drop to the floor, scream, and aggressively throw his toys. Because he lacked the foundational skills to cope with routine changes, these meltdowns were occurring multiple times a day. Exhausted by the daily battles and worried about his transition into a mainstream preschool environment, Sam’s parents contacted the early intervention team at daar to seek professional guidance and establish healthier routines..

The Challenge

When children lack functional communication and emotional regulation skills, they quickly develop negative habits to cope with their environment. For Sam, these habits were creating severe disruptions:

• At Home: The morning routine was entirely unmanageable. Getting Sam dressed and out the door could take up to two hours, filled with crying and physical resistance. His parents were frequently late for work, and the entire family started their day in a state of high stress. Sam's habit of throwing items when frustrated was also creating a safety hazard for his younger sibling.
• At Preschool: Sam’s transition into early learning was incredibly rocky. When educators announced "pack away time," Sam would exhibit the same negative habits—screaming and throwing blocks. Because he could not consistently follow group instructions, he was frequently removed from peer activities, meaning he was missing out on critical early socialization opportunities.

Sam needed vital early intervention to break this cycle of distress and replace his negative reactions with positive, functional habits.

daar Therapy Approach

The clinicians at daar firmly believe that early intervention is the most effective way to shape a child's trajectory. By addressing challenges at age three, we can build positive habits before negative ones become deeply entrenched.

To help Sam, we implemented a highly structured, play-based intervention plan:

• Establishing Predictable Routines: Our first step was grounded in positive behaviour support. We introduced visual schedules in both his home and preschool environments. By using pictures of a toothbrush, clothes, and breakfast, we turned the abstract, overwhelming morning routine into a predictable, step-by-step habit.
• Integrating Speech Therapy: Because Sam’s language delay was driving his frustration, our in-house speech pathologist collaborated closely with his behaviour team. Through integrated speech therapy, we taught Sam a simple sign for "wait" and "help." Giving him these tools meant he didn't have to throw a toy to communicate that he was overwhelmed by a task.
• Targeted Behaviour Therapy for Children: We applied evidence-based behaviour therapy for children that focused heavily on positive reinforcement. Every time Sam successfully transitioned from one activity to another without throwing an item, he was immediately rewarded with two minutes of his favorite dinosaur play.
• Socialised Behaviour Therapy in Preschool: Building habits in the clinic isn't enough; they must translate to the real world. Utilizing socialised behaviour therapy, our practitioners spent time in Sam’s preschool. We trained his educators to utilize the exact same visual schedules and positive reinforcement strategies used at home, ensuring Sam received a beautifully consistent message across all his environments.

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Results & Progress

Implementing early intervention behaviour support yielded transformative results for Sam and his family. The focus on establishing positive habits completely shifted the daily dynamic from reactive chaos to proactive learning.

Within three months, the visual schedules had worked their magic. The dreaded morning routine shrank from a stressful two-hour ordeal to a calm, manageable 30-minute process. At preschool, Sam learned that packing away toys simply meant it was time for the next fun activity. Instead of dropping to the floor to scream, he began pointing to his visual schedule to see what was coming next.

85%

Reduction in distress during morning routines. 

66%

Decrease in the time required to get ready. 

90%

Mastered the positive habit of following the classroom visual schedule.