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?
