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Multi-professional and multi-agency model PLUSS to facilitate early detection and support of pre-school children with
Berit M Gustafsson1,2, Samina Steinwall3, Laura Korhonen4,5
1Department of Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Psychiatric Clinic, Högland Hospital, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden. berit.m.gustafsson@liu.se.
Insights
The PLUSS model effectively identifies preschoolers with neurodevelopmental difficulties, demonstrating high satisfaction among parents and professionals. This approach supports early detection and intervention for better child outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental difficulties are common in preschoolers, impacting social interaction, communication, motor skills, and attention.
- These difficulties pose a risk for long-term negative consequences if not addressed early.
- The PLUSS model was developed to improve care and intervention for preschoolers with these challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development of the PLUSS model, a multi-professional and multi-agency approach.
- To evaluate the implementation, effectiveness, and capacity-building aspects of the PLUSS model.
- To assess child-related outcomes, parental well-being, and satisfaction with the PLUSS intervention.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental study design was employed to evaluate the PLUSS model for children aged 1.5-5 years.
- Qualitative interviews were conducted with preschool teachers and parents to gather experiences with the PLUSS model.
- Outcomes included implementation, process effectiveness, multi-agency collaboration, professional capacity building, child outcomes, and parental satisfaction.
Main Results:
- Approximately 130 children have been assessed since the model's launch in 2019.
- Pilot study results (n=62) indicated elevated SDQ scores in both parental (15±6) and teacher (14±7) ratings, exceeding the Swedish cut-off of 12.
- High satisfaction was reported by parents (4.5/5.0) participating in training, and professionals (4.2/5.0) trained in early detection of neurodevelopmental difficulties.
Conclusions:
- The PLUSS screening procedure effectively identifies children with clinically significant neurodevelopmental problems.
- Parent and preschool teacher training within the PLUSS model yields high participant satisfaction.
- The longitudinal study design facilitates comprehensive follow-up of children and evaluation of interventions.
Background:
Neurodevelopmental difficulties, such as problems in social inter-relatedness, communication, motor coordination, and attention, are frequent in preschoolers and constitute a risk for later negative consequences. This article describes the development of a multi-professional and multi-agency model, PLUSS, to facilitate care and interventions for preschoolers with neurodevelopmental difficulties.
Methods:
The PLUSS model was developed for children aged 1.5-5 years with a need for a further assessment of neurodevelopmental symptoms. The model is evaluated using a quasi-experimental study design along with qualitative interviews that study preschool teacher, and parent experiences of PLUSS. Outcomes of interest are a) implementation, b) effectiveness related to processes and multi-agency collaboration, c) capacity building among professionals, d) child-related outcomes with a longitudinal follow-up as well as d) parental wellbeing and satisfaction.
Results:
The model was launched in 2019 and so far, approximately 130 children have been assessed. Results from a pilot study with 62 children (27-72 months; boys: girls 2.65:1) show that the total mean SDQ score in parental rating was 15 ± 6 and in preschool teacher ratings 14 ± 7, exceeding the Swedish cut-off of 12. 54 parents have participated in parental training and rate high levels of satisfaction (mean score 4.5, max 5.0). In addition, 74 pre-school professionals have been trained in early signs of neurodevelopmental difficulties to facilitate early detection. Feedback from participants indicates high satisfaction with educational activities (mean score 4.2, max 5.0 = very satisfied).
Conclusions:
The pilot study shows that the screening procedure can detect children with clinically significant problems. In addition, participant satisfaction is high in parent- and preschool teacher training. The longitudinal study approach enables both child follow-up and evaluation of interventions provided by the working model.
Trial Registration:
Clinical Trials 2021, PLUSS identifier, NCT04815889 . First registration 25/03/2021.
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