The Parent and Toddler Training Project for Visually Impaired and Blind Multihandicapped Children

Numerous clinical reports have shown that many families with visually impaired or blind multihandicapped children have problems of social and emotional adjustment and that the development of seriously handicapped children is enhanced by early intervention. This article describes the Parent and Toddler Training (PATT) Project—research-based early intervention program—that serves visually impaired and blind multihandicapped infants and toddlers and their families. The purpose of this project is to 1) increase the social responsiveness of handicapped infants, 2) implement a psychoeducational intervention program to develop adequate parenting skills, 3) initiate specific treatment approaches with parents to reduce psychological distress and improve the quality of family life, and 4) collect quantifiable data that permit the assessment of the progress of all participants.