Many researchers recognize the most important task of improving domestic special education as the task of creating and establishing a system of early assistance to families with problem children. It is emphasized that the presence of this system in domestic education makes it possible to more effectively prevent, correct and compensate for deviations in the mental development of a child, provides an exceptional opportunity to “smooth out” deficiencies and problems in development, and, in some cases, prevent or eliminate them, thereby ensuring full-fledged baby development. It is assumed that the organization of an early assistance system will increase the ability of families to satisfy the special educational needs of the child, increase the possibility of normalizing their lives and reduce the likelihood of parents refusing to raise a disabled child. Description of the value-semantic and target guidelines of early assistance, its conceptual models, scientific, methodological and resource provision, programs, technologies and performance results will allow teachers, psychologists, defectologists and educational management organizers to take a fresh look at the main trends in the development of the early intervention system being created in domestic education.