Intergenerational Interactions.

The need for intergenerational programming, involving the purposeful bringing together of different generations in ongoing mutually beneficial planned activities designed to achieve specified program goals, is growing in the United States. This paper discusses issues involved in early educational and intergenerational care, focusing on potential barriers in the academic and human service aspects of intergenerational programs and the potential benefits of these programs. Potential barriers discussed include: the distinct practices and terminology in the field of early childhood education and gerontology and the need to provide cross-training; children's use of inappropriate language with older adults; and discomfort for participating adults or children in various types of environments. The paper also maintains that senior adults and young children are on parallel developmental courses and have parallel needs. The paper recommends the use of activities that are therapeutic by design, such as looking at photographs to allow for memory recall for adults. Benefits of intergenerational programs for children, older adults, and the community are also examined. The paper concludes by noting that communities often lack opportunities for intergenerational contact and that intergenerational programs provide opportunities to benefit from the richness of an age-integrated society. (KB)