The Early Intervention Collaborative Study (EICS) is a longitudinal investigation of approximately 190 children with developmental disabilities (Down syndrome, motor impairment, developmental delay) and their families.
Participants entered the study during the infant or toddler years at the time of enrollment in an early intervention program in either Massachusetts or New Hampshire. The current investigation extends through the adolescent years (age 18).
This study has been funded from its inception by the
U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
The focus of EICS has been on the factors that support child development and parent well-being.
| Highlights of published findings—early and middle childhood | |
| Early intervention services | Mothers who spent more time involved in early intervention services reported improved social support and family well-being. |
| Preschool and child care experiences | Children who attended more inclusive preschools were more engaged in mastery activities and social interaction with peers. Parents reported having more difficulty finding child care for children with lower cognitive functioning, fewer adaptive skills, and more behavior problems. |
| Maternal employment | Mothers who were employed were not different from other mothers in terms of the levels of stress they experienced. Greater parenting demands had no effect on work quality but did increase absenteeism. |
| Family processes | Children from families where family members supported each other had more positive social development from early through middle childhood. Children with mothers who were more responsive in their interactions (during the infant and toddler years) had more positive cognitive development from early through middle childhood. |
| Children's mastery motivation | Preschool children who made more attempts to master difficult tasks (i.e., had greater mastery motivation) had more cognitive gains from early through middle childhood. |
| Parent well-being | Fathers, in comparison to mothers, had greater increases in stress during children's early years. Both mothers and fathers had increases in stress from early childhood through middle childhood. Children's behavior problems, rather than cognitive skills, predicted stress in both mothers and fathers. |
More information about these findings can be found in the publications reporting on EICS.