This project was started following the introduction of a Decree of the Regional Government of Galicia (Decree 183/2013). This Decree was launched by three regional government ministries of Galicia: education, health, and social – indicating the ambition to work in a more integrated manner. It was set up to act on the awareness that early intervention is important for improving outcomes for children with developmental disorders, with the recognition that integrated approaches are an intrinsic aspect of identifying cases early.

Following the Decree, a working group involving health, education, and social services in Galicia was established to plan methods for improving coordination, in addition to funds being made available. One of the achievements of the working group was the introduction of a coordination protocol between health, education, and social services. This coordination protocol establishes a system where education and social services can refer children who may have a developmental disorder to a paediatrician who would be responsible for decisions relating to the child.

An ICT tool has been developed by social services in Galicia which can be used for sharing information on children with developmental disorders with education and health services, further promoting collaboration between the services. Also, a training plan was implemented for professionals in health, education, and social services in Galicia over three years. The aim of this training was to enable staff in different services to be more aware of each other’s work, to promote methods for coordination between them, and to understand the benefits of early intervention for children with developmental disorders.