A Qualitative Study Exploring Parental Perceptions of Telehealth in Early Intervention

Abstract

Using telehealth as a mode of service delivery has the potential to address some long-standing challenges in early intervention (EI) services such as waiting lists to access services. Yet, little is known about parent perceptions of telehealth in EI based on their lived experiences partnering with EI practitioners. The purpose of this study was to explore parent perceptions on using telehealth, especially on family-professional partnerships and coaching. Interviews were conducted with 15 parents of children receiving EI services via telehealth from June to August of 2021. Almost half of the participants reflected under-represented racial and ethnic backgrounds. Constant comparative analysis and emergent coding were used for data analysis. The findings showed that the advantages outnumbered the disadvantages regarding telehealth. Participants reported that telehealth provided a safe and flexible option and eliminated the wait to access EI services. However, participants identified some disadvantages to telehealth including telehealth precluded substantive interactions with therapists and limited access to technology. The findings also indicated that telehealth enhanced family-professional partnerships. Nearly all participants valued coaching during telehealth. Participants suggested initial supports to facilitate EI via telehealth, including stable internet access, telehealth training, and an initial in-person visit. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10882-022-09853-w.

Evidence-Based Implementation of the Family-Centered Model and the Use of Tele-Intervention in Early Childhood Services: A Systematic Review

“…On the other hand, the results obtained in the study by Cheung et al [ 54 ] point to the need for practitioners to strengthen their knowledge and skills to provide a service based on the family-centered model. The ultimate goal is to empower caregivers by creating learning opportunities for this learning to be generalized and applied to the natural environment [ 72 ].…”

“…Subsequent research continues this line of prevention and intervention in determining aspects of the health of infants aged 0 to 6 years, showing rates of effectiveness and acceptability, in which the figure of the family and its context are highlighted in the process [ 42 , 45 , 51 , 53 , 54 , 57 ].…”

Supporting Preschoolers’ Motor Development in Virtual Environments: Listening to Teachers’ Voices

“…; Cheung, Aleman-Tovar et al, 2022), aspects of virtual learning that are critical when engaging in motor activities. Besides access to devices, it may be helpful to have initial in-person visits if there are no prevailing health concerns, to troubleshoot technical issues such as camera position, adequacy of internet speed, compatibility of hardware (e.g., headphones) and software, assurance of direct and stable internet connections (Cheung, Aleman-Tovar et al, 2022;Lerman et al, 2020), and access to sufficient space for children to safely engage in motor play. Notably, such visits should be individualized to meet each family's needs (Fraser et al, 2017).…”

Early Interventionists’ Perspectives About Changes in Caregiver Coaching During COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Study

“…It has been used in a variety of ways such as for recording/watching videos, delivering remote services, and sharing information. Challenges are related to accessing technology (e.g., devices, internet) and families’ understanding of their role during remote services (i.e., telepractice) (Cheung et al, 2023; Chung et al, 2020; Marturana & Woods, 2012; Meadan et al, 2020; Yang et al, 2021). However, when access to stable and reliable technology is available and EIs and families understand how to use technology, it can address some barriers to coaching.…”

“…However, when access to stable and reliable technology is available and EIs and families understand how to use technology, it can address some barriers to coaching. For example, families perceived telepractice as advantageous because it enabled flexible scheduling, family engagement, communication, coaching, and access to more families (Cheung et al, 2023; Yang et al, 2021). Researchers suggested that it may be difficult to coach caregivers due to the limited time allocated to in-person visits; however, using technology to share videos for reflection and feedback between sessions addresses these time constraints (Meadan et al, 2018).…”