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Early intervention with retarded children: some encouraging results

J F Goodman, H S Cecil, W F Barker

    Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
    |February 1, 1984
    PubMed

    Insights

    A hospital-based program significantly improved intellectual quotient (IQ) in preschool children with intellectual disabilities. Parent participation enhanced outcomes, unlike community-based services.

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Psychology
    • Pediatric Neurology
    • Special Education

    Background:

    • Intellectual disability (ID) in preschool children presents significant developmental challenges.
    • Early intervention programs are crucial for improving cognitive outcomes in children with ID.
    • Parental involvement is often cited as a key factor in early intervention success.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare the effectiveness of a hospital-based intervention program with community-based preschool services for children with intellectual disabilities.
    • To investigate the impact of parent participation on intellectual quotient (IQ) changes in preschool children with ID.
    • To identify factors influencing IQ changes in this population.

    Main Methods:

    • A comparative study involving two groups of preschool children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.
    • One group received a special hospital-based program emphasizing parent participation; the other received standard community-based preschool services.
    • Intellectual quotient (IQ) was assessed over an average of 16 months for both groups.

    Main Results:

    • The hospital-based program group showed a mean IQ gain of 8.1 points, with 11 children improving by 15+ points.
    • The community-based group had a mean IQ gain of only 0.8 points, with just two children improving by 15+ points.
    • IQ changes were not significantly related to medical diagnosis (except severe neglect/deprivation), sex, initial IQ, age, or social class.

    Conclusions:

    • A specialized, parent-participatory hospital-based program is more effective in enhancing IQ for preschool children with intellectual disabilities compared to standard community services.
    • Parental involvement appears to be a critical component for maximizing cognitive gains in early intervention for children with ID.
    • The findings suggest that early, intensive, and family-centered interventions can yield substantial improvements in intellectual functioning for children with ID, irrespective of socioeconomic background or specific etiology (excluding severe deprivation).

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