Home activity programs in families with children presenting with global developmental delays: evaluation and parental perceptions

Abstract

The present study presents a descriptive evaluation of home activity programs (HAP) in families living with a child diagnosed with global developmental delay (GDD) and investigates parental perceptions about the use of HAPs. Forty-one families were selected from an initial pool of 95. Application of the HAP--delivered by an occupational therapist, physical therapist or speech therapist--was evaluated via a telephone survey. Data about parental perceptions of the HAP was collected. The results indicate a high degree of compliance with the program; 31 families were still using the HAP after 7 months. The degree of compliance is dependent on the degree of support given by the therapist and on the size of the family and many parents who maintained high compliance seemed to be those most vulnerable to stress. When giving out HAPs, therapists should be aware of the great demands they place on mothers.