Parent involvement: A model for program development

Despite extensive research indicating that parent involvement is an important part in the intervention efforts with young, handicapped children, many parents elect not to participate in their child's educational program. Findings in this study indicate that only 35% of the parents with preschool handicapped children express interest in participating in their child's educational program. In an attempt to increase parent participation, a model for individualizing parent involvement is presented. Through an interview procedure, parents of preschool, handicapped children identify parent involvement activities in which they would like to participate. Most parents express interest in participating in a combination of activities, which serve as the basis for the model.