Enhancing Parent Participation in the Individualized Family Service Plan

Abstract

Twenty parents whose children were receiving early intervention services were provided with opportunities to participate in formal education and training in individualized family service planning. All parents received written information about the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and personally selected whether to participate in workshops or small discussion groups led by other parents of children with disabilities. The extent of participation in training activities varied dependent on parents' preferences. Parents who viewed parent support and education as beneficial and whose children had definitive diagnoses were more likely to select participation in a variety of formal training than were parents of children with developmental delays; however, no significant differences between the groups were found in comparisons of child characteristics. IFSPs of the 20 families and children were reviewed and analyzed to determine differences in the use of parent language in written statements of children's present levels of development and in desired outcomes. A significantly greater number of present level of development statements were written on the IFSP documents of children whose parents had participated in formal training. No significant differences were found in the numbers of outcome statements written in parent language. Both groups showed an increase in the number of outcomes written in parent language with a trend that favored the children whose parents had received training.