Scrolling Toward Support: How Social Media Expands Awareness and Access to Early Intervention Services

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For families of infants and toddlers, early intervention (EI) services can be life-changing–offering support during the most critical years of development. Despite the importance of early identification, many caregivers remain unaware of these free or low-cost services available under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with less than half of those eligible receiving services (Sapiets, 2021). Increasingly, social media is stepping in to close that gap. From milestone checklists on Instagram to speech and language tips on TikTok, social platforms are helping parents recognize potential concerns earlier and connect with resources faster. While not a substitute for professional assessment, intervention, and family support, social media is emerging as a powerful tool in expanding awareness and access to early intervention.

Because the nature of EI services include preventative and responsive supports, broad awareness and access are imperative to the implementation and success of these services. Sapiets et al. (2021) conducted a systematic review to determine the multifactorial influences on accessing EI services. They found a multitude of factors that affect all stages of the EI care pathway to a varying degree, including parental awareness of developmental disabilities, parental perceptions of EI, parental awareness of services, nature and flexibility of services delivery, communication and contact, geographic accessibility, service capacity and availability, referral and identification practices and professionals’ perceptions (Sapiets, 2021). All of these factors are related to the way that professionals and organizations spread knowledge about EI and then how it is understood by families. The availability of social media and increasing use of technology to share information may serve as vital resources to increase awareness about and access to EI services in a timely manner.

As social media becomes an accessible way to share information it is important for EI providers to learn how to use the medium most effectively to disseminate information. Agencies such as Head Start provide training and technical assistance to early childhood educators and other service providers to learn how to use social media platforms appropriately to “promote services, enroll families, recruit staff, and connect with different communities” (”Social media essentials”, 2018). Similarly, the CDC has created freely available templates to be used, raising awareness about early intervention to social media platforms (CDC, 2024).

For providers, veterans and new alike, it is imperative to navigate technology and social media to determine optimal strategies for recognizing the need and referring for EI services. This includes research examining the accessibility of information on the internet, and more importantly, the accuracy of the information and how it is interpreted and used by the end-user.

Abby Feigenbaum, DPT, Emma Creech, SLP,  Regina Okogun, SLP, Hannah Perlman, DPT (GUCEI 2025)

References:

1. Sapiets, S. J., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R. P. (2021). Factors influencing access to early intervention for families of children with developmental disabilities: A narrative review. Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID, 34(3), 695–711. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12852

2. Head Start. (2018, September 10) Social media essentials for getting head start programs connected. Accessed May 6, 2025. https://headstart.gov/organizational-leadership/learning-module/social-media-essentials-getting-head-start-programs-connected 

3. CDC. Social media for early intervention. Birth Defects. December 20, 2024. Accessed May 6, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/php/communication-resources/early-intervention.html