Evidence-Based Practices in an Early Intervention service in Spain: the voice of families

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Centro de Atención Temprana y Escuela Infantil L'Alqueria, Universidad Catolica de Valencia, as part of the Observatorio Internacional de Atención Temprana y Desarrollo Infantil (International Observatory of Early Childhood Intervention and Development), and its aim was to identify the families' perceptions and role in the intervention process, the child's development, the quality of family life and their own empowerment. It involved the participation of a final sample of five families accompanied by four professionals for 11 months. The source of data used was audio recordings of the families, transcribed by the researcher, and the application of instruments before and after six months of intervention, which were analysed qualitatively. The analysis focused on the families' perceptions of the intervention process, child development, family quality of life and empowerment. The results indicate that families perceive the intervention as support, feel empowered to act in the contexts, learn strategies for child development and identify learning opportunities in their routines. Communication is valued, showing that families have a voice in the intervention process. The responses to the instruments indicate that families have a positive view of their children's development and perceive an improvement in the quality of family life. These findings point to the importance of evidence-based practices in Early Intervention.