Tele-Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From Early Intervention Practitioners

Abstract

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, early intervention (EI) practitioners experienced an unexpected shift to providing tele-intervention services to support children and families using virtual platforms. Because this shift occurred across the field, it is important to understand the perspectives of those who experienced it under exceptional circumstances. This study examined the perspectives of 353 practitioners across the United States who supported families of infants and toddlers enrolled in EI programs under Part C of IDEA (2004) while providing tele-intervention during the pandemic. A qualitative thematic analysis of survey responses revealed five themes: (a) shifting to tele-intervention was challenging; (b) the shift to tele-intervention was perceived as having a mostly positive impact on service quality; (c) practitioners gained new skills, often related to parent coaching; (d) parent engagement increased during tele-intervention; and (e) practitioners support the continued use of tele-intervention as an EI service delivery option.