Cultural Sensitivity in the Design and Evaluation of Early Intervention Programmes

Abstract

The consideration of culture is critical for appropriately designing and evaluating early intervention programmes serving disabled and at-risk infants and young children. It has become obvious during the past 20 years that the programme needs of children in culturally diverse families are often not well understood by those who formulate and carry out social and educational public policy (Harvey, 1977). In addition, these children have historically received services of unequal kind and degree compared with those children whose families are by social class and culture part of the mainstream of a society. In the United States, for example, disproportionately large numbers of children whose first language is not English have found themselves placed in special education classes for children with mental handicaps (Mercer, 1973; Gerry, 1973). The problems associated with disabling conditions are compounded for minority children, and doubly so for those living in poverty. The costs, emotional as well as financial, of caring for a disabled child are exacerbated by inadequate financial resources.