Revised Purpose of Study & Research Questions

Purpose of the Study

            Children from birth to three years of age often miss out on receiving early intervention services during the most critical time for brain maturation and development due to delayed referrals.  Current research demonstrates a need for more consistent parameters when referring children with developmental disabilities.  Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the influence of providing developmental guidelines to pediatricians on their subsequent referral to early intervention services.

Research Questions

1.     How frequently do pediatricians refer to early intervention specialists given current practices?

2.     What specific guidelines do pediatricians use to refer to early intervention specialists?

3.     What type of screening tool would facilitate pediatricians’ referrals to early intervention specialists?

4.     What developmental questions should parents be asked during well-child visits?

5.     How do pediatricians who are provided with new developmental guidelines differ from pediatricians who were not, in their referral to early intervention specialists?

Update: I'm thinking of implementing the use of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile in my quasi-experimental study.  However, I'm still trying to iron out details.  Any suggestions that could help better organize me?

Purpose Statement & Research Questions

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of providing developmental guidelines to pediatricians on their subsequent referral to early intervention services.

Research Questions:  

1-What specific guidelines do pediatricians need for referrals to early intervention specialists? 

2-What diagnoses result in higher referral rates?

3-What type of screening tool would facilitate pediatricians' referrals to early intervention specialists?

4-What types of developmental questions should parents be asked during well-child visits?

5-How do male pediatricians differ from female pediatricians in their referrals to EI services?

Literature Map

Articles

While I'm still actively researching my topic, I decided to share a couple of interesting ones I've found so far.  Let me know what you think! :)

Pediatrician Practices Regarding Referral to Early Intervention Services: Is an Established Diagnosis Important?

Testing and Beyond: Strategies and Tools for Evaluating and Assessing Infants and Toddlers

Problem Statement

While the importance of early intervention is widely accepted by medical professions, a lack of effective screening guidelines has led to delays in the identification and subsequent referrals to early intervention specialists.  As a result children often miss out on intervention during the most critical time for brain maturation and development.   


Reason for my topic:  I have found working closely with this population that I see many 2 1/2 to 3 year olds for initial evaluations that have very few words.   Parents have usually suspected a delay for a long time but their pediatricians have felt the child would talk "eventually."  Earlier intervention could have helped these children begin to communicate before the age of 3. 

Welcome to my Dissertation Blog!

This blog is all about my journey through the various steps of research.  Feel free to comment on my posts and provide feedback.  Thanks! :)