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Abstract

In this qualitative, retrospective study the experiences of a purposive sample of six families of developmentally at-risk children, between birth and school entry were examined. Children were followed up by consultants in the Infant Development Program of B.C. --a Provincial, early intervention, home-based, family-centred program serving families with developmentally at-risk children ages 0 - 3 years. Multiple sources of data collection were used including file reviews, focus groups, and individual, semi-structured interviews with participant parents. This researcher anticipated that it would be meaningful for parents to relate to these experiential issues; and that their responses would provide insights to the research questions posed on their specific experiences with early intervention. Member-checks were completed by participants throughout the data collection and coding stages. Thematic content analysis was used to interpret the themes from throughout the focus groups and interviews, followed by a rigorous process of inter-coder reliability. The findings of the present study raise issues in identification, referral and follow-up for developmentally at-risk children. The findings support the implementation of a primary level intervention system that probes and supports parents and service providers in identifying what are areas that need follow-up — and why and how to address those immediate needs.