Naturalistic inquiry is presented as an alternative to traditional assessment and experimental methodologies for measuring the effects of early intervention programs upon young handicapped children and their families. The use of naturalistic procedures, such as participant observation and interviews, is discussed and the inductive nature of the naturalistic method is highlighted. An illustrative study of the maternal perceptions of the diagnostic process involving handicapped and health-impaired infants is briefly described and the potential strengths and weaknesses of the naturalistic approach, as reflected by this study, are examined. Finally, suggestions are offered for uses of naturalistic procedures either alone or in combination with quantitative approaches in early intervention research with families.
Conventional assessment methods have serious limitations for measuring program impact with special education populations, and do not contribute much to managing effective IEP service delivery This article focuses on the utility of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) as a methodology for meeting those dual needs of special educators. A feasibility study of GAS in a multicategorical preschool demonstration project pointed to the relevance of the method for improving IEP implementation effectiveness with severely impaired preschool students. However, there were serious limitations for using GAS as a measure of program impact. The advantages of GAS as an intervention to improve the overall functioning of the model program are discussed, along with considerations for improving its application to IEP management. ·Federal legislation under Public Law 94-142 has mandated the use of individualized education programs (IEPs) as a means for making the education system more responsive to the needs of the handicapped student. Regulatory provisions within the mandate are also designed to stimulate the use of evaluation procedures which are sensitive to the
This article examines special education teacher preparation in three types of institutions of higher education—a small college, a medium-sized university, and a large doctoral-degree-granting university. A comparative profile of such programs is developed. The factors used in structuring the analyses included definition, areas of programmation emphasis, diversity of faculty, curricular flexibility, faculty-student ratio, relationship with regular education teacher education, resources, and attention to students. This comparison should provide framework for comparing training programs, both for prospective students and for program faculty.
This study investigated maternal perceptions of their infants' health and developmental problems. The purposes were to describe the range of ways in which mothers perceive problems, defects, abnormalities, and/or disabilities in their infants; to identify the variables which influence such maternal "diagnoses"; and to examine the potential usefulness of mothers' views and information in the diagnostic and treatment process utilized with health- or developmentally compromised infants. Six mothers of infants aged 3 to 24 months were intervlewed over 15 months. Four physicians were subsequently interviewed. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. The results underscore the importance of the mother's perspective in the total treatment/habilitation process.
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