Early Childhood Intervention an Economic Necessity, Says MP Brijesh Chowta in Lok Sabha

Capt. Brijesh Chowta, member of parliament from Dakshin Kannada, has urged the Union Government in the Lok Sabha to take steps to address mental health concerns and learning challenges faced by young children. He highlighted issues about the lack of awareness and support systems needed to identify neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of disorders that begin in childhood, affecting the development as well as functioning of the brain. These impact a child’s interaction or functioning at home or school. Examples of such disorders include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,  Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual disability, etc. He emphasised that no child should face physical or mental setbacks during the early years due to a lack of institutional support.

Key Highlight

• Capt. Brijesh Chowta, under Rule 377, highlighted that India’s population includes 16.5 crore children aged 0 to 6 years. Most of these children attend Anganwadis and pre-primary institutions. 
• There is a lack of awareness and support systems to identify neurodevelopmental disorders at a critical early age. Hence, he urged the government to take immediate steps to empower Anganwadis and early learning centres. 
• He cited that 85% of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of 6years. The Early Childhood Care and Education is, hence, an important phase for shaping language, behaviour, and learning.
• He stated that one in seven children face mental health issues and approximately 7 to 8 per cent suffer from diagnosable disorders. In such a situation, timely intervention at an early age could prevent long-term challenges.
• He urged the government to appoint trained counsellors, providing specialised training to Anganwadi workers, teachers and frontline staff. The idea behind this proposal was to enable the early detection of learning disabilities and provide basic emotional support.
• Providing early intervention and specialised care when needed, no child will be left behind at the start of the learning journey. He stated that if we ignore mental health and learning challenges at early stages, we will be risking the full potential of an entire generation. Hence, early childhood mental health support is an economic necessity for a strong and capable workforce for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Psychological Perspective

Early assessment and intervention have been a prime focus in the field of child psychology. Early intervention refers to services and support systems that help young children with developmental delays or other such conditions. According to Mental Health Research, many adult mental health disorders originate from childhood. Statistics state the75% of mental illnesses start before 18 years of age, while 50% occur before the age of 15 (MQ Mental Health Research,2022b). This is why addressing mental health issues at an early age becomes important, as it then helps in reducing the long-term risk of developing mental health issues later in life.

Studies show early interventions involving structured play therapy, parent-child interaction sessions, and teacher-led social skill training positively enhance and improve children’s emotional regulation, social abilities, confident communication and collaboration skills (Wardany, Diny, 2024). Hence, early intervention is an important and major step in the mental health realm, as it not only prevents mental health conditions from worsening but also encourages the development of resilience and equips individuals with tools such as coping mechanisms.