EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PRESCHOOLERS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS - THE CASE FOR INCREASED CHILD COLLABORATION

In this article are analyzed the four following premises that explain why early intervention programs for preschool children with mental ret ardation (and other disabilities) have tended to adopt a teacher-direc ted ''cultural transmission'' or remedial model of education, whereas preschool programs for children without disabilities have generally pr eferred a more child-directed ''developmental'' model. (1) The purpose of early intervention is to accelerate and remediate, rather than sup port, cognitive growth. (2) Learning and accountability are maximized by specific instructional objectives written into educational plans ra ther than by encouraging children's own constructivist efforts. (3) Ch ildren with retardation are defective, not just slow but otherwise nor mal and so require extensive adult direction. (4) Research findings ar e favorable rather than ambiguous towards demonstrating the effectiven ess of existing instructional methods. The four premises are reviewed and critiqued. It is concluded that there is sufficient doubt about th e cultural transmission remedial model to justify further expansion of the developmental approach in early intervention programs, at least f or some children in some areas. Changes in attitudes and practices tha t such an expansion would entail are discussed.