Beyond early intervention: An initial followup of children who participated in an early intervention program in a Queensland provincial city

Abstract

This paper reports a follow-up study of the educational progress of three cohorts of students who left an early intervention program operating at a Special Education Developmental Unit (SEDU) in a large provincial city, in Queensland, during 1989, 1990 or 1991. The purpose of the research was to evaluate some aspects of the short to mediumterm efficacy of the program. The study aimed to: (a) identify parents’ perceptions of the services offered at the SEDU, (b) track students’ educational placements since leaving the SEDU, (c) evaluate parents’ and current teachers’ perceptions of students’ current educational placements, and (d) identify areas where SEDU services and other educational services could be improved. The results indicate that the early intervention program facilitated the development of children, and that the majority of parents viewed the SEDU services favourably; however, they were not as positive about their child’s rate of progress in the subsequent placement. Half the parents and teachers also reported that children needed more help, or much more help, at school. They identified a clear need for additional support services, in particular therapy programs, in schools. Despite the reported need for additional support services to schools, the study showed that the majority of students who left the SEDU were placed in regular education settings and were maintained in these regular schools. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for policy, practice and research.