Effectiveness of Developmental Promotion Model for Children with Developmental Delay

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study aimed to determine the effectiveness of developmental promotion model for children with developmental delay in early childhood, from infancy to 5 years of age, whom were suspected to have developmental delays and their primary caregivers, combining to be 51 pairs (children and their primary caregivers) who agreed to participate the experiment. The study was conducted during 2019 and 2022. The experimental activities were conducted three times for the total duration of 12 weeks. The activities included: 1) online classrooms for parents, 2) intervention for early childhood and parental training, and 3) home-based online program for child development promotion. The tools used in this study were Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), Developmental Surveillance and Promotion Manual (DSPM), and Thai Early Developmental Assessment for Intervention (TEDA4I). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentages, means, and standard deviations; with inferential statistics including repeated measures ANOVA and McNemar’s test. The results revealed that, after the experiment, parenting stress was significantly lower than before their enrollments (p<0.001). Children had significantly higher overall development after enrolling in the program (p<0.001) and 76.47 percent of the children met the standard of developmental stimulations. The program could effectively stimulate development in early childhood, from infancy to the age of 5 years, who had suspected developmental delays. Development stimulation for disabled children requires cooperation and integration from the primary caregivers. This would help disabled children gain better child development.