Ten years ago parents and health care and education professionals used the term "revolution" to describe the dramatic realignment underway in family-professional relationships in the field of early intervention. Traditionally, families had been limited to the secondary role of merely carrying out professional recommendations in the home.
With the "revolution," families struggled to become central members and directors of the professional team, making decisions about activities and planning goals for their children's future. Family concerns, interests, and resources, rather than professional services and tests, developed into the driving forces of early-intervention efforts. The ability to build positive relationships with families began to define quality programs.
