Repetition in Early Intervention Programs

This article is directed to two issues: the extent to which children in early intervention programs are experiencing repetition in their curriculum from one year to the next (as manifested by reiteration of Individual Educational Program [IEP] objectives), and whether repetition results, at least in part, from establishing initial objectives that are too difficult for the children. The authors reviewed objectives from two sequential IEPs on 36 children from 15 programs in 10 states across the country, Although the data were too "messy" for a complete classification of objectives, careful inspection revealed a great deal of repetition and near-repetition in consecutive IEPs that were separated, on the average, by approximately one year. By matching objectives, where possible, to the expected age of mastery as indicated on a standardized instrument, and to the child's functional age, the authors found a clear tendency for children's objectives to be beyond their developmental level. It is concluded that although slow children will of course learn slowly, the data of this study, confirmed by research in child development, suggest that some of the reiteration in early intervention may be the result of excessive demands rather than the "need for repetition" intrinsic to those with mental retardation.