Background: An important mechanism that provides support and services for families with a child/youth with autism spectrum disorder is the home- and community-based services (HCBS) Waiver authorized by Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act or Medicaid. Methods: This study used qualitative research methods to explore parent perspectives about…

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers provide support and services to families with a child/youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research indicates HCBS Waivers are positively related to family quality of life (FQoL) and Child Progress. This study replicated and expanded prior research using propensity score matching of 460…

In this study, the authors examined the moderating effects of partnership on the relationship between services and supports adequacy and family quality of life (FQOL) for families of children with deaf-blindness ages birth to 21. A social-ecological approach enabled examining the impact of disability on the family system. A survey, consisting of…

State-specific 1915(c) Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver programs have become central in the provision of services specifically tailored to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Using propensity score matching, 130 families receiving waiver services for a child with ASD were matched with and compared to 130 families…

This study examined the effect of services provided through Maryland's Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid waiver for children with autism on several outcomes related to families, specifically family quality of life (FQoL) and employment. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the services provided through the Maryland autism…

Relationships between parent ratings of Part C/early intervention (EI) services and family outcomes for families of young children with disabilities were examined--specifically, the early childhood outcomes (ECO)-recommended family outcomes and family quality of life (FQOL). Measures included the Early Childhood Services Survey, the ECO Center…

Research Findings: Reports from the Early Head Start (EHS) Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP) found that participation in programs that combined home-based and center-based approaches (i.e., mixed programs) had the broadest pattern of significant impacts on parents and children through age 3. Which program implementation characteristics…

Home visiting in early intervention is the primary model for delivering services and building partnerships with children and families. Using interviews with early interventionists and family members, this study investigated the extent to which families' and professionals' emotional needs were met during home visits and what factors contributed to…

One difficulty in monitoring the quality of family--professional partnerships has been the lack of a psychometrically acceptable and sufficiently general instrument with which to assess them. The current work describes the development of the Family--Professional Partnership Scale, which assesses parents' perceptions of the importance of and their…

The authors undertook a review of measures available for assessing outcomes of early childhood services for children with disabilities and their families. With principles of family-centered practice mandating the inclusion of both family and child outcome measures in effective evaluation plans, the review examined measures with established…

The concept of family quality of life has emerged as an important outcome of service provision for children with disabilities and their families. In this article, we report families' perceptions of their advocacy efforts and the impact of these efforts on their family quality of life. A total of 104 family respondents participated in focus groups…

In the past, the assessment of families' satisfaction with the quality of their partnerships with the professionals who serve their children has been restricted to specific programs or age groups, precluding investigation of the relationship between parents' perspectives on satisfaction and the importance of partnership components for children at…