Family goals in infant intervention: Analysis and issues

In October, 1987, the U.S. Department of Education issued a call to the field soliciting examples of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) written for infants and toddlers with handicaps and their families. This article describes an analysis of the family dimensions of those plans. Each IFSP was examined to determine the presence of key legislative requirements. Each family goal was coded according to domain of family functioning, structural dimensions, level of parent involvement, and time specifications for goal attainment. Results indicated that most family goals were child-focused. Although statements of who was to achieve the goal and operational specification of behaviors were generally present, conditions and criteria for goal attainment were not generally found. Only 13 % of the goals involved generalized use of problem-solving skills. Issues regarding goal specifications raised by the analysis are discussed. The data are presented in their historical context and offered as a baseline for comparison as Public Law 99-457 reaches full implementation.