WORKING WITH FAMILIES - OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY INTERVENTION

The birth or arrival of a baby is a defining event for families. Most infants progress through predictable, yet individual, patterns of deve lopment. All families want the opportunity to optimize their children' s futures, yet each spurt of development is a transition that can stre ss the child and the entire family system. These biobehavioral shifts, or ''touchpoints,'' provide opportunities for the pediatrician to hel p the family understand, adapt, enhance, and promote the child's outco me. This family level approach serves as a form of anticipatory guidan ce that helps both parent and child successfully manage the challengin g phases of development: motor, cognitive, social, and emotional. The ''touchpoints'' concept can be adapted for the pediatrician to help ol der children and their families.