This book focuses on the treatment of families at psychosocial risk, outlining an integrative approach to early intervention, and providing both a theoretical and a very practical approach to intervention with the most at-risk families.

This study investigated the association between family socioeconomic status, family race/ethnicity, quality of services and the impact of those services on the family for families who had participated in a northeastern state2s IDEA, Part C Early Intervention Program. Data for this study came from 1,108 families who responded to a survey distributed by the state2s Early Intervention Program. The survey contained two Rasch-based measurement scales designed to yield measures of family perceptions of the quality of early intervention services they had received and the impact of those services on their family. Results of the study indicated that measures of quality of services were significantly and positively related to family outcomes. However, neither family race/ethnicity nor socioeconomic status was associated with quality of services. Results related to the strong association between quality of services and positive family outcomes are interpreted in light of previous research on the outcomes of family-centered care models. Results related to the parity of service quality across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups are interpreted in relation to two important characteristics of high-quality programs: cultural competency and service coordination.

The purpose of the present research study was to gain a better understanding of the framework of Family Centered Practice (FCP) in Early Intervention (EI). FCP is considered best practice in EI service delivery. Due to the lack of empirical research regarding FCP in EI, the current research study surveyed participants' perception of FCP in EI. Participants (N=53) were employees throughout sixteen Children's Developmental Services Agencies (CDSA) in the state of North Carolina. Participants completed a modified version of the Family-Centered Care Self-Assessment Tool (FCC-SAT). Consistent with former research, results highlight that EI professionals perceive that their own work is family-centered. Since EI is mandated by federal law, findings underscore the importance of FCP in this field, not only in North Carolina, but throughout the United States.