Date Approved

5-9-2000

Embargo Period

6-16-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School Psychology

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Dihoff, Roberta

Committee Member 1

Klanderman, John

Subject(s)

Children with mental disabilities; Education, Preschool; Premature infants--Development

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Abstract

Every year, thousands of babies are born prematurely or at low birth weight. As a result, many of these children are confronted with health and developmental issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of early intervention on premature development. It was hypothesized that premature children, who were initially denied early intervention services, would eventually be in need of services at a later time, and these children would be in need more than full-term children. The present study consisted of a sample of fifty-four children: twenty-seven pre-term and twenty-seven full-term. The subjects were collected from the Child Development Center in Southern New Jersey. All children were initially denied early intervention services. The variables collected in the study include: date of birth, gender, race, prenatal care, complications during pregnancy, reasons for denial into intervention program, and a follow-up. Results indicated a significant correlation between gestational weeks and follow-up. The null hypothesis was rejected, as the study revealed that premature children were not only in need of services, but in need more than full-term children.

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