Coaching in Parent-Implemented Early Communication Interventions: Understanding and Overcoming Individual-Level Implementation Barriers

Providing family-centered intervention for infants and toddlers with communication delays and disorders is paramount to early intervention services. Increasing empirical evidence supports transactional coaching approaches that build parents' capacity to enhance their child's communication competence and result in improved child outcomes. Coaching aligns with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C legislation and the American Speech- Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) early intervention guidelines when it is collaborative in nature and used to enhance children's participation and communication in family-guided routines and activities. Individual perceptions about coaching may lead to implementation gaps between intended collaborative coaching practices and actual early intervention practices. Considerations for overcoming implementation barriers by expanding knowledge, reflecting on preferences, and refining skills in coaching are discussed.