Ecological Foundations of Early Intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to present strategies for establishing meaningful and coherent goals for early intervention. First, from ecological theory, the natural and empirical bases of intervention design are reviewed, and the concept of fundamental units of analysis is explicated. Second, the idea of planned activities, which serve as natural units for intervention decisions, is presented. Third, aspects of sam-pling relevant for ecological interventions are discussed. Fourth, recommendations are made for using planned activities as a basis for sampling and intervention design. Being guided by planned activities may help resolve some controversial assessment questions and lead to stronger intervention plans, due to the emphasis on fundamental natural units of analysis.

Experiences of Family Collaboration in Early Intervention among Korean and Chinese Caregivers

“…The foundation of EI has been influenced by ecological systems theory (Barnett et al, 1997;Bronfenbrenner, 1979;1992), as the better understanding of the family characteristics, ecology, values, and accessibility to EI is critical (McManus et al, 2020) in understanding the interaction across the child's ecological systems including the child, family, and practitioners (Marfo et al, 1992). Based on this theory, EI is recommended to include families, practitioners, and other individuals in children's life (Dishion & Stormshak, 2007).…”