Responses to the needs of families with children with disabilities in Spain: The voices of families and professionals.

ABSTRACT

Children with disabilities and their families have the right to access Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). Family members should act as active agents of the intervention. In this sense, service professionals should offer support and intervention to improve family well-being and child development. We analyzed the experiences of parents of children with disabilities users of ECI services and the professional coordinators in the Balearic Islands (Spain) from a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. A total of 5 coordinators and 30 family members participated in the study. The results indicate five categories making ECI visible, reception phase, family well-being, intervention, and current barriers. The findings project the need to make ECI visible in policies and administrations, as well as plans to raise social awareness of child disability. Protocols must be found to facilitate access to services for children and families. Implications for the improvement of ECI are proposed.