Facilitating Development in Preschoolers with Down's Syndrome in Hong Kong: A Controlled Evaluation Study of the Effects of Centre-based Intervention and Regular Preschool Attendance

Six preschoolers with Down's syndrome who attended a centre-based educational intervention program, for three mornings a week, were assessed on the Merrill-Palmer Scale and matched on chronological age (CA), mental age (MA), intelligence quotient (IQ) and the mother's educational level. Three of them also attended regular preschools, two days per week, but the rest did not. Children were reassessed on the Merrill-Palmer Scale one year late. At that time, parents were interviewed in order to determine their views on the educational intervention program. Results indicated that all children increased in terms of MA, but decreased in terms of IQ and that children in the Program Plus Preschool group, fared better than those in the Program Only group in terms of both MA and IQ. Responses to interview questions indicated that parents were very satisfied with the program; they felt that their children's therapy sessions and the training that they themselves received as part of the intervention, were the most beneficial aspects.