Early Childhood Special Education and Intervention: Parental Involvement and Integration

Early intervention programs provide services to young children with disabilities. This practice aims to include a family-focused model that recognizes the needs of the whole family. Early intervention services promote parental involvement at home and in the educational program. However, cultural differences among families can act as a barrier to involvement, which may lead to a negative perception of the services. Examining cultural differences can improve outcomes for the child, increase culturally appropriate services, and lead to greater parent and child satisfaction. This study surveyed European American and Hispanic American parents receiving early intervention to determine whether more involvement with their infant at home is correlated with their satisfaction with the services they are receiving, as well as compared differences between the groups. Results indicated that parents who reported that they engaged in more activities with their child at home were more likely to feel integrated with the program, and vice-versa. Results also indicated a significant difference in the program integration and home involvement scores between the two groups, with European American parents reporting higher scores.