Abstract
Early intervention services (EIS) worked hard to continue serving children and their families during the COVID-19 lockdown, using online applications. This study aimed to determine families’ and professionals’ perceptions of the functioning of the early intervention (EI) model in Spain during the pandemic. The study sample comprised two subsamples: 81 families of children attended at an EIS (72 mothers and 9 fathers) and 213 professionals recruited from EIS. The survey was conducted online several weeks after the end of the strict lockdown in Spain. Descriptive statistics of the questionnaire answered by families and professionals were compiled, comparisons were made between the families’ and the professionals’ responses, and the relationships with several sociodemographic variables were analyzed. The results indicated that parents who cared for their children and were fully responsible for housework, parents who had used telematic tools before the lockdown, and younger professionals had a more positive perception of the EI model and the incorporation of family-centered practices (FCP) during the pandemic. The results also showed statistically significant differences in some items between parents and professionals: for example, professionals perceived more advantages than families during the lockdown, quoting the greater participation of families in the intervention and a greater focus on families’ needs. The data obtained from professionals suggested a more positive attitude toward FCP: however, the results show that they continued to adopt a directive role in the intervention, a position that is at odds with the tenets of FCP. There is a clear need for more training if a paradigm shift to FCP is to be achieved. Families’ and caregivers’ perceptions of telerehabilitation, and their adherence to telerehabilitation programs, are discussed. The implications of this study with regard to guiding future telematic interventions and family support are also considered.
Highlights
Over fifty years have passed since the introduction of the first early intervention services (EIS) in Spain
According to data provided by the Grupo de Atención Temprana (GAT; Early Intervention Group), there are currently over 700 EIS in Spain employing more than 4,500 professionals (Grupo de Atención Temprana, 2018)
The aim of this study was to assess the work that EI professionals carried out with families and children seen in EIS in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to establish whether this situation might promote a change in their practices
Summary
Over fifty years have passed since the introduction of the first early intervention services (EIS) in Spain. According to data provided by the Grupo de Atención Temprana (GAT; Early Intervention Group), there are currently over 700 EIS in Spain employing more than 4,500 professionals (Grupo de Atención Temprana, 2018). Early intervention (EI) has come a long way in recent years, focusing less on biology and more on environmental questions, and evolving toward the integration of the biological, the psychological and the social. This is manifested mainly in the interaction of individuals with their contexts, and all these factors must be included in in each therapeutic action. The scientific evidence emerging from the systemic, ecological, and transactional development model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1987; Sameroff, 1983) to explain child development has influenced their activity
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