Using Auto-Photography Elicitation in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Research

Photo-elicitation is a visual methodology used in qualitative research in which images serve as a prompt for discussion. One way to do photo-elicitation is through auto-photography elicitation, where participants provide their own photos that are pertinent to the research study, which are then used to elicit additional information during interviews. The purpose of this paper is to orient researchers to the use of auto-photography elicitation in early intervention/early childhood special education research (EI/ECSE). First, we highlight the method’s strengths related to EI/ECSE. Then, we discuss ethical implications for researchers to consider when using auto-photography elicitation related to power and positionality and privacy and consent. Finally, we discuss the stages of an auto-photography elicitation research study using examples from four EI/ECSE research studies.