AN ETHNIC COMPARISON OF PARENT PARTICIPATION AND INFORMATION NEEDS IN EARLY INTERVENTION

This study investigated ethnic differences in (a) parent perceptions of their information needs and their sources of information, and (b) the nature of parent participation in early intervention and participation preferences. Interviews were conducted with 536 families with infants and toddlers who had developmental problems. Comparative analyses were conducted on white, Hispanic, and American Indian groups. Results suggested the need to provide more and better information to all parents and the importance of medical doctors as a source of information, individualizing the type and source of information to different ethnic groups, and identifying unique strategies to support the participation of parents from different ethnic groups.