Parents with intellectual disability and mental health conditions: Early intervention providers’ perceptions

ABSTRACT

Background

It is highly recommended that professionals promote caregivers' capacity-building to use intervention strategies to support children with developmental delays or disabilities in natural learning environments, particularly in the earliest years of life. There is a gap, however, in understanding the extent to which these professionals may feel supported in tailoring outreach to support parents with Intellectual Disability and/or mental health conditions (MHCs).

Methods

We surveyed providers (n = 55) who work with families of infants and toddlers in Early Intervention programs across the United States.

Results

Most had at least one family with intellectual disability (87%) or a MHC (92%). At least half felt parents with intellectual disability or MHCs warranted more time/resources (64% or 50%, respectively) and half were “extremely interested” in trainings to support parents with intellectual disability (48%) or MHCs (56%).

Conclusions

Findings and implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Early intervention
• provider perceptions
• coaching parents
• parents with intellectual disability
• parents with mental health conditions

Acknowledgements

We sincerely appreciate the expert reviewers who participated in reviewing the survey or supported recruitment efforts, including Jenna Strain Lutz, Laura McCorkle, Hannah Motschke, Dathan Rush, M’Lisa Sheldon, Carri Stuhr, and Cindy Vail. Special thanks to the providers who participated in this needs assessment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).