Early intervention in Malta: what it is and when to ask
By Rossella Ricchiari, SEN Specialist.
Early intervention means support given in the first years of life, as soon as a need is noticed, without waiting for a diagnosis. In Malta the main public route for this is the Early Intervention Service, which is free.
What is the Early Intervention Service?
The Early Intervention Service supports babies and young children aged 0 to 5 with developmental delays and disabilities, and their families. Support is given through home visits and in childcare centres and schools. Broadly, a child is eligible when there are signs of delay in more than one area of development. Ask your doctor, your health centre or your child’s nursery how to request a referral, because the route can change.
How are concerns usually picked up?
Well Baby Clinics at health centres give free developmental checks at 8 to 12 weeks, 8 months and 18 months. At 18 months there is also the Lenti Project, which screens children for delays in communication and other areas before they start early years education. It is a screening and does not give a diagnosis.
Childcare and kindergarten staff also see children among others the same age, and they notice when one child is developing differently. Your own observation as a parent is a valid reason to ask, and you do not need to wait for a professional to raise it first.
What age is best for early intervention?
As early as the need is noticed. There is no age that is too early to ask, and the service covers children up to 5. Compulsory school starts at 5, and support continues in school through other services, so support does not end when the early years do.
Who else may be involved?
Assessment may be done by doctors and other professionals, for example through the Child Development Assessment Unit, which is the public child development service. Therapists such as speech and language therapists and occupational therapists may be involved, in public or private settings. Some programmes in Malta offer intensive early intervention for children aged 3 to 5 with an autism diagnosis. Once a child is in school, the Autism Spectrum Support Team is one of the services that can become involved. My guide to autism support in Malta covers that side.
What can I do while we wait?
- Write down what you notice, with dates.
- Ask the nursery what they see and what they are trying.
- Keep the day in the same order and give notice before a change.
- Follow your child’s lead in play and name what they are looking at.
- Bring your notes to every appointment.
- Ask each service what happens next and when.
Where I fit
I lead SEN provision within Early Years, working with families and multidisciplinary professionals to put individualised programmes in place. I do not assess or diagnose, and I am not part of the Early Intervention Service. I help parents make sense of what they are seeing and plan home and nursery life around it, in English or Italian, in Malta or online. More on my support for parents of children under 5, and for nurseries, early years SEN support.
Sources: Eurydice (European Commission), Malta: Organisation of the education system and Special education needs provision within mainstream education; the Early Intervention Service’s published descriptions on servizz.gov.mt, mychild.gov.mt and student-wellbeing-services.gov.mt, as summarised in search results on 5 October 2026. Check the current details with the service itself.