Family Resources, Personal Well-Being, and Early Intervention

Abstract

The hypothesis that adequacy of resources is related to personal well-being and adherence to professionally prescribed child-level regimens was tested. The subjects were 45 mothers of developmentally delayed infants and toddlers participating in an early intervention program. The mothers completed three measurement scales about their family resources, personal well-being, and commitment to professionally prescribed treatments. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that adequacy of resources was related to both well-being and commitment to child-level interventions even after the effects of maternal age, family socioeconomic status and income, and child age and developmental quotient were statistically removed. The results are discussed in terms of assisting families to meet self-identified needs before asking them to carry out professionally prescribed child-level treatments as part of their involvement in early intervention programs.