Predictors of Community Participation Among Young Children who have Received Part C Early Intervention Services and are Entering Kindergarten
Mary Khetani, ScD, OTR
Assistant Professor
Department of Occupational Therapy
Joint Appointment Human Development and Family Studies
Colorado State University
Collaborator
James Graham, PhD, DC - UTMB
General Description
Promoting the participation of young children with disabilities in home and community activities is one of the primary service goals for families receiving Part C early intervention services, and is considered to be a key indicator of their full inclusion. Despite its importance, providers of early intervention services have been found to be less likely to address participation as a service-related outcome. There is a paucity of literature to draw upon to understand the impact of child, family, and environmental factors on the participation of young children with disabilities across a full range of home and community-based activities. Further study is needed to understand specific patterns with respect to young children's participation to better guide service planning efforts on this outcome in focused and feasible ways. This 1-year project involves secondary analysis of data from over 2,000 families of young children with disabilities who participated in the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS) that was completed between 1997-2007. We will analyze these data to examine what types of child, family, and environmental factors predict whether families experience participation restriction across a broad range of community activities. Study results will inform the design of a new parent-report survey of young children's participation and environment that is being developed for use in service planning with this population.
The specific aim of this pilot study is:
To determine the child, family and environmental factors that best differentiate between families who report difficulty and those who report no difficulty participating in excursions and outings, community-sponsored activities, and recreational activities.