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Promoting Caregiver Coaching Practices Within Early Intervention: Reflection and Feedback

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Abstract

Family-centered practices are a hallmark of early intervention (EI). Early intervention service providers are expected to engage in practices that emphasize family strengths, promote family choice and control, and develop collaborative relationships between professionals and families. In 2014 the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children released a series of revised recommended practices for the field of EI and early childhood special education. The seven topic strands include: assessment, environment, family, instruction, interaction, teaming and collaboration, and transition. This paper addresses practices under multiple topic strands including instruction and family. The purpose of this manuscript is to present strategies that: (a) encourage caregiver reflection—a critical, yet challenging, component of coaching, (b) guide service providers in providing feedback to the caregiver, and (c) enhance service providers use of self-reflection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. David Yellin College of Education, Jerusalem, Israel

    Hagit Inbar-Furst

  2. Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Sarah N. Douglas

  3. Department of Special Education, University of Illinois, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

    Hedda Meadan

Authors
  1. Hagit Inbar-Furst
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  2. Sarah N. Douglas
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  3. Hedda Meadan
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Correspondence to Hedda Meadan.

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Inbar-Furst, H., Douglas, S.N. & Meadan, H. Promoting Caregiver Coaching Practices Within Early Intervention: Reflection and Feedback. Early Childhood Educ J 48, 21–27 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00980-2

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