Interpreting Results to Parents of Preschool Children

Abstract

The interpretive session in which parents are told the results of their child’s developmental testing is the culmination of a complex process of testing, interviewing, analysis of findings, formulation of a diagnostic impression, and generation of recommendations. The session can be a therapeutic turning point for parents, as they are helped to understand their child’s needs and plan for his or her future treatment and well-being. Or the session can be a brief, confusing, emotionally devastating lecture about the child’s deficits, defects, and labels. The difference derives largely from the professional’s commitment to the importance of the interpretive session, and skill in presenting findings in a way that is most helpful to families. The purpose of this chapter is to outline a general approach to interpreting the results of a diagnostic evaluation for mental retardation, autism, and other developmental disabilities (Shea, 1984), and to discuss issues that apply specifically to families of preschool children.