ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study, that took place in Lebanon, is to investigate the effectiveness of Portage, a home-based early intervention program for children with special needs. The sample consisted of 16 children (eight male and eight female) whose ages ranged between 1 and 3 years. Participants were provided with home-based services by a Portage home-visitor for a period of six months. Data were collected before and after the intervention. Participants’ progress was evaluated in five developmental areas: communication, social-emotional, exploration, purposeful-motor activity, and sensory organization. Parents’ satisfaction with the program’s provisions was also examined. The results revealed significant differences in the participants’ pre and post ratings, indicating improvement in the children’s functional skills in all developmental areas. Also, parents’ interviews revealed satisfaction with the program’s services. In sum, Portage seems to be a promising home-based intervention, but further research is needed before making any claims about its wider potential.

摘要

这项在黎巴嫩进行的研究的目的是调查 Portage 的有效性，这是一项针对有特殊需要的儿童的家庭早期干预计划。样本由 16 名儿童（8 名男性和 8 名女性）组成，他们的年龄在 1 至 3 岁之间。参与者由 Portage 家庭访问者提供为期六个月的家庭服务。在干预前后收集数据。参与者的进步在五个发展领域进行了评估：交流、社会情感、探索、有目的的运动活动和感觉组织。还检查了家长对计划规定的满意度。结果显示参与者的前后评分存在显着差异，表明儿童在所有发展领域的功能技能都有所提高。还，家长的访谈显示对项目服务的满意度。总而言之，Portage 似乎是一种很有前途的家庭干预措施，但在对其更广泛的潜力提出任何声明之前，还需要进一步的研究。