ERIC Number: ED404806
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1997-Jan
Pages: 27
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Million Dollar Question: Unmet Service Needs for Young Children with Disabilities.
Gallagher, James
Parents (N=58) of young children with disabilities and their service providers attended 18 focus group sessions where they discussed what services they would choose if given a million dollars to spend on their own service programs. The focus groups were held in nine geographically and demographically diverse communities in Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Comments were grouped into the areas of family support, expansion of services, increased personnel, communications/networking, equipment, professional training, and other. Parents and service providers substantially agreed on how the money might be usefully spent, with high priority given to helping families with crisis conditions, respite care, increased use of special therapists and therapies, and increased intensity and breadth of treatment. Service providers also wanted improved billing practices, training for daycare personnel, and referral systems. Results suggest a need for a different service model, one which employs special therapists as consultants and supervisors over teams of early interventionists who will carry out many of the special therapist's current duties. (Contains 15 references.) (DB)
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill.; Rhode Island Coll., Providence.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A