Diverse Families in Early Intervention: Professionals’ Views of Coaching

This study examined the perceptions of family coaching and culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families participating in early intervention (EI) in a southwestern state in the United States. The transition of the EI program from a multiple service provider model utilizing direct services to a primary service provider model utilizing family coaching afforded a unique opportunity to directly compare and contrast the two models. Twenty-two service providers experienced in both forms of service delivery from one geographical region in the state participated. Three major themes emerged from the interviews: (1) coaching can be an effective and empowering form of service provision; (2) although ideal for many families, coaching was not viewed as appropriate for all families; and (3) to be successful, coaching, as a newly implemented model, requires greater state support including substantive preservice and inservice training for team members.