Over 20,000 Children Treated Under Early Stimulation Programme Since Inception

The Early Stimulation Programme (ESP), which operates on a referral basis, has treated over 20,000 children from across the island since its inception in 1975.

As contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 2020 Economic and Social Survey, over the course of 2020, the ESP received 648 referrals, a decrease of 22.8 per cent compared with 2019.

Of the total number of referrals, 70.0 per cent was enrolled, numbering 451 (283 boys).

“Referral and enrolment data were indicative of programme accessibility, as the highest numbers were from parishes within proximity to ESP centres, which are located in Kingston & St Andrew (KSA), St James and Portland,” the Survey said.

The document noted that the highest number of referrals was from children within KSA at 300, of which 221 (73.7 per cent; 132 boys) were enrolled. The KSA was followed by: St. Catherine (65 referred; 43 enrolled); St. James (60 referred; 38 enrolled); and Portland (50 referred; 39 enrolled).

“Planned expansion of specialised services will be done with the aid of a mobile unit. The gender imbalance could be seen at the parish level, as the enrolment of boys per parish was proportionately greater than girls, ranging from 55.8 per cent (St. Catherine) to 83.3 per cent (St. Elizabeth),” the Survey stated.

“In addition to in-centre services, approximately 1525 intervention sessions were conducted through the ESP’s Community-based Rehabilitation Programme. For most of the year, these interventions had to be delivered using a blended approach of in-person and virtual platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” it added.

The Early Stimulation Programme is an early intervention programme for young children (up to age six) with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, and sensory impairment, among others.

The ESP also empowers and provides support to the parents and caregivers of children with disabilities through ongoing workshops, training, counselling sessions, and parent support groups.