Early intervention: professional views and referral practices of Australian paediatricians.

OBJECTIVE: To gather information from paediatricians concerning their attitudes to early intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities and to study their referral practices. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred and ninety-five Australian paediatricians completed a postal questionnaire. RESULTS: Paediatricians presented a positive view of early intervention, particularly for its beneficial impact on families, and perceived the quality of services to be comprehensive or adequate. There were few differences between States, or between country or metropolitan areas. Most paediatricians make prompt referrals to early intervention services when a child has an established disability. Referral is much less likely with suspected delay. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatricians are aware of the benefits of early intervention but additional information concerning the role of these services and their significant impact on families and children should be provided.

Early intervention: the professional views and referral practices of paediatricians in Victoria.

Early intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities have developed considerably in the past decade, yet little information is available about the referral practices and views of Australian paediatricians. During 1991, 100 paediatricians in Victoria completed a postal questionnaire designed to gain information regarding their attitudes to early intervention and referral practices. The results indicated that paediatricians had a positive view of early intervention, and perceived the standard and quality of the services in their region as comprehensive (16%) or adequate (54%). They were likely to make prompt referrals in the presence of an established disability (75%), but with suspected developmental delay, many (45%) were likely to wait until the delay was confirmed. Referrals were more often made for intervention for the child rather than for family support. However, paediatricians felt that early intervention had a beneficial effect on family functioning (81%). In general, the results indicate that there seem to be few barriers between paediatricians and the early intervention field.