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Predictors of effectiveness of early intervention on children with intellectual disability: a retrospective cohort

Der-Chung Lai, Chung-Hsin Chiang, Yuh-Ming Hou

  • 1Language Education Center, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan. yvonneyct@yahoo.com.

BMC Pediatrics
|July 4, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Early intervention significantly improves intellectual quotient (IQ) in children with intellectual disability. The earlier the intervention, the greater the IQ gains, especially for boys and those with lower maternal education.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Neuroscience
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Taiwanese government initiatives promote early intervention for intellectual disability.
  • Limited data exist on the effectiveness of these early intervention programs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of early intervention in improving IQ scores in children with intellectual disability.
  • To identify predictors of intervention effectiveness.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited children diagnosed with intellectual disability from a teaching hospital.
  • Administered two IQ tests between 2001 and 2005.
  • Used the change in IQ scores as the primary measure of effectiveness.

Main Results:

  • IQ scores increased significantly from 57.0 ± 8.0 to 65.1 ± 12.3 (p < 0.001).
  • Younger age at initial testing, male gender, and lower maternal education level were independent predictors of greater IQ improvement.
  • Intervention effectiveness was observed in boys and was more pronounced in children with lower maternal educational backgrounds.

Conclusions:

  • Early intervention is effective in enhancing the IQ of children with intellectual disability.
  • Earlier intervention yields better outcomes.
  • Socioeconomic factors, such as maternal education level, influence intervention effectiveness.
Abstract

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