What Supports and Barriers Influence Early Intervention Providers’ Practices? A Qualitative Study

Early intervention providers (EI) have a responsibility to enact recommended practices to best support young children with disabilities and their families. However, pre-service and in-service preparation of early intervention providers is complex and often lacking, leading to gaps in practice. In this qualitative study, we aimed to understand what supports and barriers EI providers in the U.S. state of Illinois experience that they believe influence their practices. Overall, we developed four themes that represent the data: (1) systemic barriers, (2) collaboration as a support and barrier, (3) key experiences as supports, and (4) the need for meaningful professional development. Implications include the need for policies that address financial concerns and collaborative teaming, as well as personnel development focused on effective teaming and responding to diverse family needs.