Does Early Intervention Work? A Controlled Trial

Abstract

The study described herein is a controlled trial on the efficacy of a well-structured early intervention program for children with clearly marked biological impairments. Twenty-four children were placed into two matched groups in terms of age, sex, type of disability, functional level, and family socioeconomic status. The treatment group received a weekly educational visit from early intervention advisors for 2 years while the control group received no form of intervention due to lack of provision in the remote provincial towns and islands where the families were living. Four assessments using Griffith's developmental checklists were made in both groups: an initial assessment, a first year assessment, a second year assessment, and 8 months after the end of the program. The results are significantly encouraging. They show remarkable gains for the treatment group both in terms of overall functioning level and in terms of acceleration in different domains of development. The control group remained more or less stable. Gains for the treatment group continued to occur, but at a lesser rate, through the second year. Moreover, gains in development for the treatment group were not lost 8 months after the end of the program. Although the sample is rather small, there are clear indications that early intervention projects that treat children having biologically based disabilities are effective.