Therapeutic Nursery Study Under direction of Alice K. Frankel,
MD (Child Development Center)
In order to describe the changing population which has been treated
at the Child Development Center's therapeutic Nursery School, and to examine
the impact of language impairment, emotional disturbance, family dysfunction,
and life stresses on their development and progress, the families of a
cohort of "graduates" (1970 through 1984) are being contacted.
Extensive case records during the Therapeutic Nursery School treatment
of 178 children are being coded for computer entry, using a comprehensive
instrument two years in the devising. A total of 146 families are
bing contacted, sent detailed computer coded questionnaires, and interviewed
by a member of the study group. A teacher, current or most recent,
will also provide extensive information about each child. Upon completion
of this two year phase of data collection, it is planned to interview the
children themselves and conduct psychological testing.
The CD case records have been coded and the first group of care givers
have been contacted and interviewed. Twenty six out of 27 families
approached have agreed to participate.
The study is under the direction of Alice K. Frankel, MD, Director
of the Child Development Center. The research group comprises both
CDC staff and volunteers. Lauren Behrman, PhD, CDC's supervising
psychologist; Rick Greenberg, MSW, JBFCS social worker and research assistant;
Evelyn Rothchild, PhD, CDC psychologist; Hilda Fischman, MSW, CDC social
worker, Patricia Deeley, MSW, volunteer; and Florence Shulman, BA, volunteer.
The study has been privately supported in part by Mrs. Susan Hecht
Tofel and her children, Cathy, Robert and Wendy Cramer.
The study was described in the 1990
issue of
Practice & Research.