Disability Studies Tenets in Early Intervention Research: A Systematic Review

• In Event: Reenvisioning Early Childhood Education at the Intersections of Disability

Abstract

I conducted a systematic literature review examining early intervention literature for the presence of tenets of disability studies. Topics ranged from state-level policy implementation to parents’ perceptions of early intervention services. Findings were mixed, with minimal evidence of disability studies tenets pertaining to representation of disabled perspectives or the use of a disability studies framework. There was some evidence that researchers considered the foundational and social study of disability, such as barriers to accessing early intervention supports or the role that race, socio-economic status, or culture played in parental perceptions of early intervention. Recommendations include finding ways to bridge disabled perspectives with early intervention literature and reframing early intervention as a system designed to reduce barriers while honoring disabled perspectives.

Author

• Estyr M Bomgardner, Rowan University