Coaching in Early Intervention Training and Mentorship Program: Development and Implementation

We describe a statewide professional development program designed to expand early intervention providers’ knowledge and skills to coach caregivers to support their children’s development and learning. Early intervention providers are expected to implement family-centered, capacity-building practices with caregivers of infants and toddlers eligible for Part C services. Yet, a persistent knowledge-to-practice gap in early intervention service delivery highlights the need for evidence-informed professional development. We used implementation science, adult learning principles, and evidence-informed professional development practices to design and implement the Coaching in Early Intervention Training and Mentorship Program with 266 Part C early intervention providers in the U.S. state of Kentucky. We report on targeted program outcomes (i.e., reflect on practice, enhanced caregiver coaching knowledge, intervention fidelity, and expanded professional network) from the first 4 years of the professional development program and share professional development specialists’ implementation fidelity in the context of providing flexibility with PD completion.