Telehealth as a Method for Providing Services to Children in Early Intervention

Background: Early Intervention, under IDEA Part C, is the provision of services to children birth – three with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. Parent coaching is the evidence-based best practice for interventions for these children and families (Rush & Shelden, 2011). The use of telehealth as a method for conducting intervention sessions with families aligns with the parent coaching model, as the therapist is required to coach the parent. There is an emerging body of evidence that telehealth is an effective and viable option to promote long-term family independence (Dunn, 2018). Few states allowed telehealth to be a method for providing services in early intervention prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing regulations, children and caregivers who were participating in early intervention experienced a rapid transition to telehealth. This presentation discusses a study conducted in 2020 that obtained information from providers and families regarding their experiences with telehealth.

Methods: The study consisted of 24 open and closed ended questions that captured the age of the child, the discipline of the provider, the state, the provider’s experience with telehealth and whether there was experience prior to COVID, perceptions on the efficacy of telehealth as a method, barriers, technology, and what providers and families view as the positive aspects of telehealth. The responses were collected using convenience sampling starting in May 2020 and continued through December 2020. Responses were gathered from 95 providers, and 48 families in early intervention. The survey was disseminated using via Facebook, sending directly to providers and families in early intervention, and through professional organizations (AOTA, APTA, ASHA).

Results: Slightly more families disagreed that telehealth was an effective method – 47% to 34% who agreed that it was effective. However, 74% of families felt comfortable carrying out the strategies with their child. 67% of providers indicated that telehealth was an effective method, versus 19% who felt that it was not. The percentage of children who providers indicate made the same or better progress than in-person services was slightly more than those who said they made less progress – 45% to 34%. Some providers indicated that the level of progress depended on the circumstances of the concerns and the level of parent engagement. Both parents and providers indicated that they appreciate having telehealth as an option moving forward and commented on the level of flexibility it offers.

Conclusion: Telehealth as a method for early intervention services is an acceptable way to provide intervention to this population. As with all services in early intervention, however, it must be individualized to the family’s needs and level of caregiver engagement.