Through document analysis, one-on-one interviews with parents, and observations the
researcher aimed to explore early intervention in pre-school children with learning difficulties
in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The researcher set out to determine whether parents were
aware of the importance of early intervention in addressing learning difficulties in their
children, what support existed to help parents give support to children with learning
difficulties, and how support could be improved to enable parents to help their children.
This study found that parents in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape needed support that would
enable them to provide early intervention for their children with learning difficulties. The
study also showed that parents were aware of the importance of early intervention to help
their children with learning difficulties. Most parents were receiving support, but there was
room for improvement in the support that they were receiving. Flowing from this, the study
also found that parents needed different forms of support, e.g. emotional and financial
support. Based on the findings, recommendations were made. Recommendations were aimed
at improving support for parents, so they can provide successful early intervention for their
pre-school children, e. g. through the creation of open channels of communication between
parents and other role players, like government departments and service providers.
Recommendations were also made for future research, e. g. research into ways to create open
channels of communication.