An Introduction to the MISC Interventional Model

The goal of this chapter is to introduce the MISC interventional model and to lay a foundation for the chapters to follow. The MISC presents a theoretical and practical framework for early intervention. The acronym MISC stands for both the process and the objective of the intervention. Through the process of a Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers, young children may stand a better chance of becoming More Intelligent and Socially Competent individuals, ready to benefit from new experiences within their environment. The MISC is based on recognition and understanding of specific components in an adult’s behavior, within adult-child interaction, affecting flexibility of mind in young children. The proposed model is particularly suitable for cross-cultural adaptation since its components may be identified within existing child-rearing beliefs and practices. Whereas many known interventions are designed to enhance either children’s emotional functioning or cognitive skills and abilities, the MISC focuses on cultural re-sensitization and on the adult’s capacity to elicit quality interactions, as prerequisites for both social-emotional and cognitive development. The MISC model is primarily concerned with enhancing parents’, caregivers’, and educators’ ability to provide children with quality interactions, consequently affecting their “need system”, and by that, creating dispositions that are essential for their future learning.