Measuring the Quality of Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers: Problems and prospects

Comparable scales to measure quality of early intervention services for infants and toddlers as perceived by parents and service providers were developed based on the Recommended Practices in Early Intervention. Each scale consisted of four subscales focusing on: home-based therapies/instruction, centre-based therapies/instruction, medical/ health services, and service coordination. The scales were administered to 209 parents and 177 of their service providers. A sample of 24 parents completed the instrument twice during a two-week interval to assess test-retest reliability of the parent scale. Test-retest reliability for the parent scale was .785. Validity of the scale was assessed by examining the correlation of parent and provider perceptions of quality with family demographic and early intervention service characteristics. Parents' perceptions of quality were related to family centredness of services. Neither parents' nor providers' perceptions of quality were related to family socioeconomic status. Problems and prospects for measuring quality of early intervention services are discussed.