Seeking Validation and Creating Meaningful Interactions: Perceptions of a Parent-Mediated Infant Intervention
Danika L Pfeiffer1, Christine Reiner Hess2, Rebecca J Landa2,3
1School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Old Dominion University.
Infants and Young Children
|July 15, 2024
Summary
Early family-centered interventions are crucial for infants with developmental delays. Partnering with parents ensures these programs, like Infant Achievements (IA), offer valuable support for children's social communication skills.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Early Childhood Intervention
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Infancy is a critical developmental period requiring timely family support for children with delays.
- Family-centered interventions are essential for maximizing social value and impact.
- Social communication delays in infants necessitate effective, evidence-based support strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively examine the social validity of the Infant Achievements (IA) intervention.
- To understand parents' perspectives on a parent-mediated intervention for infants with social communication delays.
- To identify key themes regarding family engagement in early intervention programs.
Main Methods:
- A preliminary randomized controlled trial of the 8-week Infant Achievements (IA) intervention was conducted.
- Qualitative data were collected through focus groups with 7 parent participants.
- Conventional content analysis was used to analyze parent responses.
Main Results:
- Parents reported challenges in finding resources and seeking validation for concerns.
- A supportive coaching relationship and meaningful interactions were highly valued.
- Parents desired support to enhance their children's development and communication skills.
Conclusions:
- Family-centered approaches are vital for developing effective early interventions.
- Partnering with families ensures interventions meet their needs and enhance social value.
- The Infant Achievements (IA) intervention shows promise, highlighting the importance of parent involvement.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Parenting Styles
64
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
64
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
610
The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
610
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
53
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Primary Temperament Types
53
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.2K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.2K
Attachment
60
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
60
Autism Spectrum Disorder
79
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
79


