Cleveland Society for the Blind Infant - Preschool Parent Survey
Background
The purpose of this study was to assess parent satisfaction, parent involvement, and children’s transitions to other settings among a group of families involved in an early intervention program at the Cleveland Society for the Blind, Cleveland, Ohio 1980-1985.
Thirty-six questionnaires were distributed by mail and at parent meetings. This preliminary data reports on 19 questionnaires returned. Eighty-three percent of parent meeting questionnaires were completed, whereas only 34% of those mailed were returned.
Research on programs for infants with visual and multiple handicaps reveals that early intervention strategies and projects for these populations are rarely affiliated directly with Association’s for the Blind. Traditionally these agencies have assumed rehabilitative and adult services roles, and have provided almost no family support when an infant is born with visual or visual-multiple handicapping conditions.
In an effort to create agency awareness of the efficacy of early intervention, this investigator helped secure funds in 1980 to start a Sight Center Infant-Preschool Education Project which would 1) show positive social and cognitive gains in children with visual handicapping conditions, 2) ameliorate or prevent blind mannerisms and delays associated with visual dysfunction, and 3) decrease atypical patterns of sensory-motor behavior associated with visual impairment at an early age. Agency resistance due to its overall mission of rehabilitation made this a difficult task; participating families have experienced all facets of the continuos difficulties, hence, both “early” families, as well as, more recent family participants have been involved with this survey, in the hopes of identifying and clarifying trends related to the effect of the intervention on both child and family.
Preliminary Summary of Findings
First, I looked at the child’s age at the time of enrollment of either home-based, classroom-based, or joint home-classroom programming. In 1980-81 there were no infants referred under one year of age. In 1982, the number had jumped to nine and in 1985, nearly 60% of all referrals are for children younger than 11 months of age. The number of families receiving both home-based and classroom services, and the number receiving only classroom training has remained fairly even, in spite of rapidly changing family patterns which suggest divorce, women working, and child care arrangements tend to prevent parent involvement in the classroom. Even when parents are in classroom programming, they report a consistent desire and preference for home-based services. The most satisfied parents in the program, are those who receive regular home visits, regardless of the classroom participation, and regardless of the total number of hours of training and services.
The average length of time in the program since 1981 has been four classroom hours per week over a nine month period for toddlers, six classroom hours per week for preschoolers, and two hours each week for infants. This is consistent through the five-year period. Parents of toddlers and preschoolers indicate a clearer understanding of the daily schedule, curriculum goals, and classroom activity and management than parents of infants. This is partially due to the number of respondents who are newer families who have only participated since the fall of 1985, and therefore, report they are unsure about their understanding of different facets of the program. “Older” (e.g. earlier) parents report their overall satisfaction with classroom aspects but greater dissatisfaction with supplemental and staff related services.
Of 19 families responding, 17 are still involved in the program, confirming that the total duration of time at the Center has been considerably lengthened by the greatly increased number of infants who graduate to the toddler level, and continue to stay through preschool. In other words, the infants have grown up, but not outgrown this program.
During these five years, the number of children who have participated in multiple settings is proportionate to the child’s age and the number of life events occurring within the family configuration. I interviewed eight parents who have not yet responded to the survey, but whose children left the program in 1984. All of these children participate in multiple programs; two are served by special educational services at area developmental centers; four are in public school; two are in preschool and daycare; one participates in Head Start and daycare; one in day care and private nursery school. Sunday school, tutoring, private sports, and music and art lessons are supplemental setting for these recent “graduates” of the program. Of those children still in the program, the length of stay is 20 months.
From the 19 surveys and eight parent interviews, life events were tallied. There were four separations, four divorces, one remarriage, nine births, six deaths within the family, three became foster parents, five maintain single parent households, and seven are teenage mothers and/or fathers (average age of parenthood is 15 years and 2 months).
Parental satisfaction occurs most frequently on items of child change over domains of learning after the infant period. For parents of infants, satisfaction is tied to competence and involvement of staff, transportation, parent support groups, and parent education workshops. Parents of toddlers and preschoolers demonstrate more understanding of and more dissatisfaction with agency issues, while parents of newer status indicate higher levels of uncertainty about philosophy, goal-setting, etc.
Concluding Comments
Preliminary results seem to confirm the overall importance of home-based services and the need to assess parental (consumer) satisfaction in great detail, in view of the fact that as more infants are enrolled, families will be more sophisticated and trained as their child approaches school age. This study identifies the need for detailed assessment and planning for each child’s progress and the importance of parent and professional staff teamwork. When parents are asked to point to accomplishments of the program, they point mainly to what they have learned from other parents and the one-to-one technique they receive in the therapeutic and/or home climate.
Clearly there is a 1980’s awareness on the part of parents that a technology of child learning, as well as, a technology of parenting exists, and is available through a multiple technique approach to early intervention.
