Goal setting within a tertiary-level early developmental intervention program.

Objectives: To determine the domains of parent-therapist collaboratively set goals for intervention within a family-centered, tertiary-level early developmental intervention (EDI) program. To report changes in ratings for performance and satisfaction of performance pre- and postintervention for the set goals.

Methods: This study includes all children with complex developmental disabilities (30 ± 3 months of age, 61% boys) registered in a tertiary-level EDI program from 2009 to 2012 whose parents completed the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to evaluate goal setting. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children & Youth version (ICF-CY) domain for each goal was recorded. Pre- and postintervention ratings for individual and averaged goals per child were calculated. Positive changes in ratings were determined by an increase of ≤2 and presented as a proportion and as means (standard deviation). Student t test, Fisher Exact and chi-square tests compared groups.

Results: Of 483 individual goals set for 168 children, 65.4% were in the ICF-CY activity domain, 16.4% participation, 10.3% body function, 7.4% environment and 0.4% body structure. Positive changes in ratings for performance occurred in 70%; for satisfaction, 68%, with no difference in relation to domain. Positive changes in average ratings per child showed: performance, 67%; satisfaction, 66%.

Conclusion: Intervention goals for disabled children within tertiary-level EDI are primarily those of activity, not participation as ICF-CY recommends; two-thirds of goals show positive change. These results suggest the need for further evaluation of goal setting within EDI programs with the expectation of increasing goals of participation and improving ratings for performance and satisfaction.