This paper describes development and field testing of a set of materials and procedures designed to educate parents to act as agents in the early identification of handicapping conditions in young children. The need for education was established through a survey of parents of preschoolers. Two means of disseminating information about early intervention were employed: 1) mass media, including radio and television messages, newspaper stories and distribution of pamphlets and developmental calendars and 2) group meetings employing an instructional film, discussion, calendars and brochures. The results of the efforts indicated that parents attending group meetings learned specific information about services available for young handicapped children and their legal educational rights. Communication via mass media stimulated requests for information but did not measurably affect parents' knowledge about early intervention. Because the materials and procedures served specific educational functions for parents, they would be suitable for incorporation into comprehensive Child Find efforts.
Communication Responsibilities of the International Agricultural Research Centers; Designing a Program Viewers Remember; Get the Facts, Not the Chicken: How to Use and Instructional Film; Precision Journalism; News Writing