The Cost-Effectiveness of Adding One Type of Parent Involvement to an Early Intervention Program

The belief that parent involvement is an important aspect of early intervention programs for children with disabilities is widely accepted, but the empirical evidence to support this belief is limited (White, Taylor, & Moss, 1992). Using a randomized experimental design, the present study compared a classroom-based early intervention program with the same program supplemented by a parent involvement component. The parent involvement component consisted of weekly parent meetings focused on (a) training parents to provide additional intervention, (b) providing information on general topics, and (c) providing social support. Outcome data were obtained following intervention and longitudinally on child and family functioning, and on educational outcomes. A cost-effectiveness analysis was completed. With respect to measures of child development and family functioning, there were some small initial effects in favor of the parent involvement group that tended to fade out in later reassessments. However, longitudinal educational outcomes indicate positive effects on child placements and teacher perceptions of the children's functioning in favor of the parent involvement group. The parent involvement component was not immediately cost effective, but may be in the long term.