Effects of an Infant Stimulation Program on the Child and the Family

Abstract

A follow-up study of the graduates of an infant stimulation program was conducted in order to determine (1) the subsequent educational placements of the children, (2) the subsequent medical histories of the children, and (3) the parents' perceptions concerning the efficacy of the early intervention program. Forty-two primary caregivers of graduates of an infant stimulation program were intervlewed by means of an orally administered questionnaire. Question categories included medical and educational diagnoses and history, parents' perceptions of the child's effect on the family, the degree to which family members were involved in the program, and an open-ended question designed to explore the parents' feelings about their life with their handicapped child. Results indicated that children's medical diagnoses tended to be serious, ranging from Down syndrome to brain damage, and approximately two-thirds of the children remained in some kind of special education program full-time. About 20% were mainstreamed, and another 15% were placed in regular classrooms full-time. Parents generally were very positive about their infant's participation in the stimulation program. Mothers were involved in the program to a significantly greater extent than fathers.