1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The aim of this study was to explore parents’ perceptions of their child’s development. Specifically, we were interested in understanding the factors influencing parents’ perceptions of their child’s development, and their decision-making regarding if and when to seek help from health care professionals.» (p. 1)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«This study was the final phase of a three-phase research project describing the development of children aged 2 to 5 years in Quebec [in which] 16 parents (13 mothers and three fathers) were recruited. Specifically, 14 (88%) families reported general concerns in Phases 1 and 11 (69%) were identified at risk in Phase 2. In addition, most parents already had consulted a health care professional other than their family physician (63%), and children were attending the publicly funded daycare system (56%).» (p. 11)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«Parents who participated in this study reported relying heavily on health care professionals’, educators’, and others’ observations to confirm/validate or help them to adjust their perceptions of their child’s development. This is consistent with the literature highlighting mismatch between parents’ perceptions and health care professional assessment, and stressing the importance of engaging front-line professionals in early detection […]. Health care professionals should not be involved only in assessing children directly but rather also collaborate with educators to identify children at risk of delays […]. Our findings also imply that broader awareness of children’s development might be required among all those involved in early identification, with community members in particular becoming more aware of what constitutes typical child development to identify and share concerns about children who might be struggling with their peers. [Then,] this study [highlights] the importance of first and foremost hearing and listening to parents’ concerns about their child’s development, building on their existing internal resources, and helping them navigate the system to find external resources when the support required exceeds their perceived knowledge and abilities. Parents often report difficulties navigating the system and not being heard with regard to their concerns for their child […].» (p. 15-16)