The Effects of a Social–Emotional Intervention on Caregivers and Children With Disabilities in Two Central American Institutions

Abstract

This field study describes changes in caregiving and young children's physical and behavioral/ cognitive development as a consequence of a pilot intervention using typical staff in 2 Central American orphanages for children with severe and multiple disabilities. The intervention trained staff in sensitive, responsive, child-directed, caregiver-child interactions; provided on-the-ward coaching; and changed staff employment practices to promote greater stability of caregivers in children's lives. In addition, trainers of caregivers received 5 hours of instruction on positioning, handling, and other aspects of working with children with severe disabilities. Caregivers improved their appropriate positioning and handling of children and sensitive and responsive caregiving, and children improved in physical and behavioral/cognitive development. This pilot study shows that typical orphanage staff can improve the development of infants and young children with severe disabilities by increasing their sensitive, responsive caregiving with minimal specialized professional services.

Review: The consequences of early institutionalization: can institutions be improved? – should they?

“…These results and those of similar interventions (Groark et al, 2012;McCall et al, 2010) indicate that institutions can be improved; the improvements can produce substantial increases in physical, mental, social and behavioural development in both typically developing children and those with disabilities; and such benefits can be maintained for at least 6 years with no additional funds. Thus, we know how and can financially afford to improve institutions, but should we?…”

The development of postinstitutionalized versus parent-reared Russian children as a function of age at placement and family type

“…Moreover, the intervention and its benefits for children have been maintained for at least 6 years (McCall et al, 2013). Similar improvements have been associated with other social-emotional interventions (e.g., Groark et al, 2013;McCall et al, 2010) and a randomized trial of a professional foster care intervention (Nelson et al, 2007).…”

Development and Learning of Young Children with Disabilities

“…Better organisa-tion of the institutional practice in institutions for children with disabilities still needs to be in focus, both because of cultural and societal devaluation of children with disabilities but also due to lack of knowledge about the developmental pathways and potentials these children have despite their impairments (Groark et al 2013). In present-day institutions in low-resource countries, the professional staff often lacks knowledge about how to support the development of children with disabilities and basic equipment for taking care of special needs of, for example, children with physical impairments (Groark et al 2013).…”

“…Better organisa-tion of the institutional practice in institutions for children with disabilities still needs to be in focus, both because of cultural and societal devaluation of children with disabilities but also due to lack of knowledge about the developmental pathways and potentials these children have despite their impairments (Groark et al 2013). In present-day institutions in low-resource countries, the professional staff often lacks knowledge about how to support the development of children with disabilities and basic equipment for taking care of special needs of, for example, children with physical impairments (Groark et al 2013). A recent study (Groark et al 2013) duplicating the St. Petersborg design in two Central American institutions for children with severe and multiple disabilities highlighted why it might be more challenging to change practices in institutions for children with disabilities compared to institutions for children with typical development.…”

“…In present-day institutions in low-resource countries, the professional staff often lacks knowledge about how to support the development of children with disabilities and basic equipment for taking care of special needs of, for example, children with physical impairments (Groark et al 2013). A recent study (Groark et al 2013) duplicating the St. Petersborg design in two Central American institutions for children with severe and multiple disabilities highlighted why it might be more challenging to change practices in institutions for children with disabilities compared to institutions for children with typical development. First of all, supporting development of children with severe and multiple disabilities often calls for more specialised knowledge.…”