M. Ketelaar et al., PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL-PALSY - A REVIEW OF RESEARCH, Topics in early childhood special education, 18(2), 1998, pp. 108-117
Parental participation in intervention programs for children with phys
ical disabilities has become an important issue in recent years, often
emphasized by both professionals and parents. In this article, recent
studies examining parental involvement in intervention programs for c
hildren with cerebral palsy are reviewed. Only a few studies were foun
d that were explicitly designed to study the effects of parental invol
vement. Most of these studies reported positive results, especially re
garding child-related outcomes. The effects on the parents were less c
lear, with positive and negative results reported. One important varia
ble distinguishing programs with positive effects was the degree to wh
ich parents were involved in setting goals for their children's progra
ms. Recommendations for practice and future research are given.