Impacts of early intervention on family outcomes: A multicenter cross-sectional study in Japan

Background: Recently, the concept of "family-centered" practice was integrated into early intervention programs in Japan. Services provided through early intervention can result in beneficial family outcomes. We previously validated the Family Outcomes Survey-Revised (FOS-R) for use in Japan, but the impact on families was not evaluated. Objectives: To evaluate potential impacts of early intervention on family outcomes and factors associated with outcome attainment. Method: An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was given to mothers of pre-school-age children with disabilities who were currently receiving early intervention at one of 12 development support centers across Japan. We evaluated scores of the Japanese version of the FOS-R using multivariable random effect models. Results: Data from a total of 394 mothers were analyzed. Longer duration of early intervention was positively associated with family outcomes (<12 mo vs. 12-23 mo; coefficient = 0.19, p = .02, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.36). Perceived helpfulness of early intervention was significantly associated with family outcomes (coefficient = 0.49, p < .001, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.55). Conclusions: This study suggests that early intervention is associated with better outcomes for families, especially for families who perceive early intervention as helpful. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.