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Family-Centered Practices in Early Childhood Intervention
Abstract
This chapter includes an overview of the history of family-centered practices, the role family support principles and value statements have played in the evolution of a family-centered approach to working with families, the manner in which investigators have developed behavior indicators of family-centered practices, and how the use of family-centered practices have been found to be directly and indirectly related to child, parent-child, parent, and family outcomes. Research is reviewed which shows that family centeredness includes both relational (relationship-building) and participatory (competency-enhancing) dimensions as well as subsets of practices in each dimension. Examples of how family-centered practices have been used to implement different early childhood intervention practices are described. The discussion section of the chapter includes descriptions of the manner in which the relationships between family-centered practices and outcomes of interest are more likely to be mediated by other variables, the need for adherence information to be assured that practitioner behavior is consistent with the intent of family-centered practice indicators, and the potential yield from studies that employ an implementation science framework for investigating the relationship between the use of family-centered practices and the use of other types of early childhood intervention practices.
... Regardless of the setting, most ECI providers follow a family-centered approach (Dunst & Espe-Sherwindt, 2016). The structure of a support session is similar across different providers and professionals. ...
The inclusion of children with neurodevelopmental disorders or children at risk of such disorders and their families in early childhood intervention programmes must be initiated and implemented in good time so that the most sensitive phases of child development and the emotional support of parents can be optimally utilised. Every country has their own protocol for informing parents about early childhood intervention services and different approaches to working with children and families. To identify the best possible approaches, we conducted semi-structured interviews with professionals working in the field of early childhood intervention and compared our findings with the international context and previous research. The professionals interviewed for this purpose emphasised the importance of initial team assessments, consistent recommendations to parents, and the implementation of different methods to support the needs of the children and families. Considering these and previous findings, we argue that it is critical to develop a framework of consistent guidelines for all service providers and to find a common language and assessment methods between the different professions and institutions that provide early childhood support. Furthermore, it is important to identify a key person to act as a source of information about the needs of the child and family and to coordinate co-operation between systems. Such measures would enable parents to receive timely, coherent, understandable and useful information that meets the needs of their family, as well as holistic support for a child from all systems.
... When professionals' practices in their approaches and support with families are family-centered, the support is more effective, both in terms of the family's skills and confidence and in terms of the child's development (Espe-Sherwindt, 2008;Dunst, & Espe-Sherwindt, 2016). Research, however, has identified two dimensions of family-centred recommended practices that best contribute to the effectiveness of this intervention paradigm -relational practices and participatory practices (Dalmau et al., 2017;Espe-Sherwindt, 2008;Machado et al., 2017). ...
The article presents a case study of a four-year-old boy diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), a severe receptive language disorder, pronounced hyperactivity, and dyspraxia. The study evaluates a comprehensive approach to care and education, encompassing medical, psychological/occupational therapy, and educational interventions. The main aim of the article is to analyze the effectiveness of integrated therapeutic and educational strategies focused on supporting social and communication skills, cognitive development, and the management of sensory challenges in children with atypical autism. A longitudinal design was used, collecting data from regular neurological, psychological, and speech therapy assessments, as well as from observations of behavior and learning in both home and school settings. The data were analyzed qualitatively to identify key success factors and areas requiring further support. The results indicate that a consistent and structured pedagogical environment, combined with targeted therapy, significantly contributed to the boy?s progress in social adaptability and communication skills. Improvement was observed in his ability to maintain attention, verbal expression, and motor skills. The study confirms that a multidisciplinary approach in education and therapy is crucial for supporting the comprehensive development of children with atypical autism. Emphasis on individualized educational strategies and continuous supervision and adaptation of therapeutic plans appears to be an effective practice for integrating these children into mainstream education.
... There is a need for interventions that are culturally responsive, comprehensive, and tailored to address the needs of both young children and their families. Multigenerational interventions that support both children and adults are beneficial to caregivers, helping to reduce stress, improve attitudes and behaviors, and enhance caregiver mental health [18,24,25]. Although EI programs are family-centered interventions designed to support families with young children at risk of or experiencing developmental delays and disabilities, data suggest that EI providers often struggle to meet the SEB needs of these children [25]. ...
Early intervention services are a critical support for young children experiencing developmental delays and disabilities. Due to myriad negative social and economic conditions, some infants and young children, namely Black, Indigenous, and other children of color, as well as those experiencing poverty, are at greater risk of experiencing a developmental delay or disability and experiencing issues of access to needed services and supports within and beyond early intervention programs. Due to these systemic issues, these infants and young children are more likely to have caregivers experiencing mental health concerns and issues of access to services and supports. Early childhood serving programs are faced with meeting the behavioral health needs of families experiencing cumulative vulnerabilities. Some early intervention (EI) programs are partnering with infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) providers to meet mental health needs. IECMH consultation (IECMHC) is a multi-level support that aims to build the capacity of early childhood programs to meet the needs of young children, families, caregivers, and staff. IECMHC has an intentional focus on promoting and ensuring equity, specifically more equitable systems. It focuses on addressing inequities impacting young children and their caregivers, thus strengthening these essential collaborations. This paper highlights research demonstrating the importance and collective power of IECMHC in early intervention programs to advance behavioral health and equity.
Parent-mediated interventions are fundamental in supporting parents of autistic children. In particular, parent coaching has emerged as a key component of such interventions. However, the characteristics of such interventions remain underexplored. Therefore, the current review aimed to synthesise characteristics of parent-coaching interventions for young autistic children (<6 years). Specifically, the review aimed to investigate the extent to which fathers are being included in parent-coaching interventions. A systematic review of the literature was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 5 studies which met the strict inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Studies were summarised regarding participant information, study design, intervention characteristics, dependent variables, study outcomes and social validity findings. Results revealed that only 2 fathers were represented in the included studies, which included 94 parent-child dyads overall. Although limited to two studies, outcomes indicated that parent-coaching can be successfully implemented with fathers. Findings concerning other intervention characteristics are also discussed. Overall, this review highlights the need for more in-depth research into fathers’ experiences of parent-coaching interventions and related child outcomes.
This comprehensive research challenges traditional narratives about paternal engagement in the Arab world by directly capturing fathers' voices through focus groups and stakeholder mapping. The findings reveal that fathers are eager to participate but face significant barriers, including:
✴️ Financial struggles with high-cost specialized services
✴️ Work-life balance challenges and time constraints
✴️ Limited awareness about developmental signs and intervention paths
✴️ Cultural perceptions about gender roles in caregiving
What makes this research particularly valuable is its practical approach - presenting six evidence-based policy elements that span healthcare, education, workplace, and community sectors to enhance paternal involvement.
The research shows that when fathers actively engage in early intervention, children experience better developmental outcomes, families become more resilient, and care systems improve. But this requires systemic change at multiple levels.
Globally, engaging fathers in early diagnosis and care for young children with disabilities remains a challenge, including in the UAE. Despite efforts to support people of determination, cultural norms, workplace policies, and healthcare gaps often limit paternal involvement. Fathers play a critical role in early diagnosis and intervention, which significantly influence the developmental outcomes of children of determination (YCOD).
This policy brief builds on prior research, leveraging policy dialogues and secondary analyses of global and national studies to outline barriers and enablers to paternal engagement. It highlights the UAE’s strides, such as the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination, while identifying areas that remain unaddressed, including the need for targeted father-focused initiatives.
Key recommendations include the development of national guidelines for father engagement, enhancement of parental leave policies, specialized training for professionals, and public awareness campaigns to shift cultural norms around fatherhood. Establishing father support networks and centralized resource hubs is also emphasized to improve accessibility to services and information.
To foster an inclusive environment, governments must lead by implementing multi-sectoral strategies, advocating for father-friendly workplace policies, and ensuring adequate funding for programs that enable paternal involvement. These efforts can enhance developmental outcomes for children, strengthen family bonds, and promote societal inclusion for people of determination in the UAE.
Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) involves developing parents' knowledge and skills through parent coaching to support the listening and language development of their children with hearing loss. The traditional delivery of parent coaching at FCEI has been in in-person settings. With the advancement of technology, telepractice has become widespread. This has increased the diversity of service delivery, especially for children with hearing loss who face difficulty accessing a qualified interventionist. This study examined the parent coaching behaviours of an educator providing early intervention services to children with hearing loss and their parents in in-person and telepractice settings. The research is a qualitative case study. Data were collected through observation, an interview, documents and a research diary. The results indicated that implementing feedback, modelling and guided practice varied due to challenges in engaging children during telepractice sessions. In-person, these behaviours were applied within the activity involving both parent and child. In telepractice, feedback and modelling were limited to discussions with the parent, and guided practice was not demonstrated. The results suggest that, despite the educator's efforts to find solutions, structural limitations may have limited the support parents received from telepractice sessions compared to in-person sessions.
Vydavateľ a vydanie: Pedagogická fakulta Trnavskej univerzity v Trnave, prvé vydanie, 2024 Všetky práva vyhradené. Toto dielo ani žiadnu jeho časť nie je možné reprodukovať bez súhlasu majiteľov autorských práv.
https://doi. org/ 10. 31262/ 978‑80‑568‑0621‑0/ 2024
Ensuring the earliest possible start in early intervention for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children is crucial, given the uncertainties families face upon learning of their child’s diagnosis. The multitude of decisions to foster the child’s linguistic competency requires substantial support for families navigating this process. This study delves into the parent empowerment aspect within Maine’s coordinated early intervention process, Exploring Language and Communication Opportunities (ELCO). This study aimed to explore parent’s experiences during their participation in Maine’s statewide, coordinated, and comprehensive early intervention process for DHH children: ELCO process. Using a phenomenological approach, the researcher explored family experiences through semi-structured interviews. Identified themes across families indicate a sense of empowerment during early visits in intervention, the decision-making process, meeting individuals with lived experiences, and their ability to document their own choices for their child and family. The findings could significantly impact family-centered early intervention practices for DHH children by emphasizing the importance of comprehensive information, support for parents’ decisions, and overall well-being.
A model for mapping the adoption, application (use), and adherence to family support principles is described. The model provides one way of developing family support principles as a program philosophy, using the principles as benchmarks and standards for program development, and program participant feedback as a measure of ascertaining program quality. Examples of several initiatives using family support principles as the foundations for program building and evaluation are described.
Available for download at
http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/resources/implementation-research-synthesis-literature
Understanding the outcomes of strengths-based programs requires a better understanding of the extent to which programs actually provide services that are consistent with this model. To this end, we have developed the Strengths-Based Practices Inventory (SBPI). Data collected from two studies of parents participating in either an early childhood prevention program or family support program indicated that the SBPI has 4 related factors: (a) identification and use of strengths, (b) cultural competency, (c) interpersonal sensitivity and knowledge, and (d) relationship-supportive behavior. The SBPI is sensitive to differences between programs in the extent of strengths-based practice and is related to some expected outcomes, including family empowerment and social support.