CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS OF PARENT-CHILD INTERACTION - ARE PROFESSIONALS READY TO IMPLEMENT THIS PRACTICE

This article discusses issues that are relevant to the clinical assess ment of parent-child interaction in the context of early intervention and clinical infant services. Issues discussed include (a) factors con tributing to the call for parent-child assessments; (b) the reliabilit y and validity of parent-child assessment instruments; and (c) the int erpretability of data obtained from parent-child assessments. We argue that the focus on parent-child interaction is appropriate for clinica l infant services. However, contemporary assessment procedures may not be developed sufficiently to be included as part of the developmental assessment process. The professional community must consider whether and how parent-child assessments can enhance the quality of clinical i nfant services.