ABSTRACT

Objective : This study investigated the efficiency of internet counseling as an alternative strategy to early intervention in a school setting for children with developmental disabilities.Methods : The authors have operated the early intervention counseling site through internet (www.ddchild.com) since 2000 and this study analyzed its Q/A data (1,380 questions) from 2000 through 2004.Results : A total of 997 consumers participated in this internet counseling for about 4 years and 88% of them were parents of children with developmental delay and disabilities. Eighty four percent of the children were aged under 6 years and 12% of them were under 1 year old. Prior to contacting the internet counseling, 74% of them have already had diagnoses such as developmental delay, autism, mental retardation, language impairment and 29% of them were children at risk. The educational and rehabilitation services the consumers most wanted were in the order of speech therapy(25%), behavior management(22%), motor(18%), social skills(15%), cognition(12%), and schooling(8%). However, the services that the counseling professionals suggested were in the order of behavior management(35%), sensory integration(34%), special education/speech therapy(12%), physical therapy(9%), and guide to appropriate schooling(9%).Conclusion : The rehabilitation counseling for early intervention through internet has achieved its role as an alternative to the formal education program in a school setting to some degree. It succeeded in attracting young parents whose children are aged under 1 or 2 years, of which attitudes play a crucial role on facilitating early finding and early intervention for children with developmental disabilities as well as for children at risk, but most consumers seemed to use this cyber rehabilitation counseling as finding an answer to simple questions and their worries rather than working on how to better educate their children through in-depth counseling from the professionals. Finding information and exchanging opinions only through cyber space without face to face meeting seems to throw some limitations: in leading the consumers to make best use of the information of 2,000 pages loaded on the homepage; providing a tailor-made prescription for each child; reinforcing the parents who actively participate in the cyber counseling; and establishing a solid relationship between the consumers and the professionals. It is strongly recommended that a regular face to face meeting with the cyber consumers should be scheduled along with counseling through internet. Then, the internet rehabilitation counseling can function as an optimal alternative to the poorly equipped early intervention educational system in Korea.