Time as a Resource and Constraint for Parents of Young Children with Disabilities: Implications for Early Intervention Services

Abstract

Time is a fundamental resource and constraint for families. In this study we explored how parents and professionals understand time usage as a resource and constraint in the lives of families with young children with disabilities. This study draws from a qualitative research project that examined how parents and professionals worked together to develop and implement family-centered early intervention programs. Twenty-one family members and 19 professionals participated in eight focus groups to gather data on parent and professional partnerships in early intervention program implementation. Content analysis of data identified several issues associated with families' use of the resource of time. The findings discussed focus on the families' perceptions and are presented in issues generated by the families. The perspectives of professionals are discussed as they relate to the issues generated by families. Effective and efficient use of time by families is an important issue to examine in our efforts to provide family-centered services. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to developing early intervention programs for young children with disabilities and their families.

Family and Professional Perspectives on Early Intervention

“…Other notable characteristics of the idealized system included mechanisms for centralizing information and consolidating services and methods for ensuring continuity in care and services across the life span. Consistent with the findings of Able-Boone and colleagues (1992) and Brotherson and Goldstein (1992), both parents and professionals wanted to see much improvement in service coordination. Professionals, however, seemed to have difficulty thinking outside the box and offered few specific suggestions for how existing services might be improved or changed.…”

“…Consistent with methods described by Brotherson and Goldstein (1992) and Summers and her colleagues (1990), several steps were taken to ensure rigor in qualitative data analysis. First, two researchers independently read transcripts from one focus group session and formulated response categories under each major theme.…”

“…Some of the children in the 3-through 5-year-old range formerly or currently were enrolled in regular childcare programs where vention services, as well as their experiences with inclusion and service integration. Focus groups were selected as a qualitative interview method because they (a) generate large amounts of data in a short amount of time; (b) are well suited to questions that examine participants' experiences and perspectives, as opposed to attitudes and opinions (Brotherson &C Goldstein, 1992;Patton, 1990); (c) produce new data and insights that might not occur through individual interviews alone (Morgan, 1988); and (d) result in research findings that can stand alone or be combined with other sources of data as part of a comprehensive evaluation (Morgan, 1988;Stewart &C Shamdasani, 1990). they received in-class therapy and their classroom teachers received consultation from a specialist (i.e., an inclusive model).…”

Preparing Therapists as Effective Practitioners in Early Intervention

“…Families have identified characteristics that define high quality early intervention service providers as good listeners and communicators (Blue-Banning, Summers, Frankland, Nelson, & Beegle, 2004;Case-Smith & Nastro, 1993;Dinnebeil, Hale, & Rule, 1999;Washington & Schwartz, 1996) and individuals who demonstrate sensitivity to children, provide individual attention to their child, follow through with ideas, and have a willingness to ignore the clock during therapy sessions (McWilliam, Young, & Harville, 1996). In addition to these characteristics, parents report that it is important for service providers to have technical knowledge and skills (Wehman & Gilkerson, 1999), involve families in their children's learning, focus on their child's strengths (Dinnebeil et al, 1999;Viscardis, 1998), fit therapy into family daily routines and activities (Brotherson & Goldstein, 1992;Edwards, Milland, Praskac, & Wisniewski, 2003), use technology as part of intervention (Brotherson & Goldstein, 1992), and include siblings in therapy sessions (Thompson, 1998). Clear information is available from these studies about the roles, qualities, or abilities of early intervention personnel that are valued by families.…”

Evaluating the Impact of the STEPS Model on Development of Community-Wide Transition Systems

“…Research conducted with families has shown that transitions are time consuming (Johnson, Chandler, Kerns, & Fowler, 1986), stressful (Fowler, Chandler, Johnson, & Stella, 1988), and require knowledge about referrals, evaluation, and placement (Wolery, 1989). Research also has found that families express concern about the lack of coordination between professionals (Brotherson & Goldstein, 1992). Thus, preparing families for the transition process is necessary.…”