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2010-01-06

2010-01-06

August 17, 2010

2010-01-06
Accessing Child Educational Services (ACES)      
Jane Squires, PhD, University of Oregon
Project Summary:
Accessing Child Educational Services (ACES) proposes to investigate barriers, motivators, and other factors that influence parents or caregivers to act early on concerns that child developmental milestones are not being met. Successful strategies, motivators, and facilitating factors for parents/caregivers will be identified that encourage timely and early parent action. Four primary research questions will be investigated: 1) What is the effect of the child's age at time of initial positive developmental screen on parental actions; 2) What are the characteristics of families associated with action or inaction related to acting early? 3) What are the environmental characteristics associated with action or inaction? 4) What are effective ways to support and encourage parents in information gathering and decision-making related to seeking consultation and evaluation of developmental delays? Qualitative and quantitative data will be gathered from caregivers and agency personnel working with families with young children, as well as individuals with disabilities. Recruitment of caregivers from diverse urban/rural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds will occur through child find settings currently used in Oregon for screening children as well as through agency-based screening and intervention/education settings (e.g., Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education, Head Start, primary health care, Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities). Data collection will include surveys of caregivers and agency staff, interviews and focus groups with caregivers, agency personnel, and individuals with disabilities. The Early Intervention Program, University of Oregon Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), will be the lead agency, led by Dr. Jane Squires, UCEDD Director and Early Intervention Professor and Dr. Debra Eisert, UCEDD Associate Director and Pediatric Psychologist.