Eco-Behavioral Assessment

Abstract

The effectiveness of early intervention programs has been an area of controversy since the early 1960s. Unfortunately, many in the academic community and the general public remain unconvinced that spending government funds for the education of young handicapped children is an effective use of public resources. Research has been limited to the measurement of singular outcomes (e.g., changes in the behavior and/or adjustment of the handicapped students or parents that have been the targets of intervention). This paper proposes a methodological expansion in evaluation research, an ecobehavioral approach, that has been used recently in teacher effectiveness studies within elementary grade classrooms. The paper discusses the implications of using the eco-behavioral approach in the evaluation of preschool programs for the handicapped. It argues that this methodology will allow both (a) determination of early intervention effectiveness and (b) specification of factors that are responsible for this effectiveness.