{"id":2895,"date":"2016-07-19T11:50:30","date_gmt":"2016-07-19T11:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/veipd.org\/earlyintervention\/?p=2895"},"modified":"2021-10-15T20:00:07","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T20:00:07","slug":"research-to-practice-brief-6-home-visiting-beliefs-and-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veipd.org\/earlyintervention\/2016\/07\/19\/research-to-practice-brief-6-home-visiting-beliefs-and-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Research to Practice Brief #6: Home Visiting Beliefs and Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FigureOn a given day, you might have anywhere from 2-6 visits with families. If you step back and reflect, how do these visits typically work? There may be a similar way you begin or end your visits. You may find yourself conducting visits in the same parts of the home across visits or asking similar questions<\/a> of families. Would you say that there is a “culture” to how you practice EI?<\/p>\n

The article below challenged me to look at EI from a cultural point of view. We talk all the time about how individualized EI must be in order to be most effective, but the reality is that the way in which home visits are conducted is often similar across providers. Having a similar framework for visits doesn’t preclude individualizing; it seems to me that this could be fine line, though.  Visits could be conducted in such a similar, even predictable manner that the ability to individualize to child interests, family routines, or changing priorities becomes challenging. Or, having a similar, cultural framework across visits could provide the stability needed to allow the provider to individualize. Read on and see what you think.<\/p>\n

Source: Brorson, K. (2007). The culture of a home visit in early intervention. Journal of Early Childhood Research. 3<\/em>(1), 51-76.<\/a> (PDF, New Window)<\/p>\n

Research: What Do We Know?<\/h2>\n

Brorson (2007) conducted a qualitative study of one EI program to examine how services were delivered. Four families and seven service providers participated in the study. Families and providers participated in multiple videotaped observations of visits and multiple interviews. A review of program documents was also conducted. Results revealed information about the structure of a typical home visit, values and beliefs of providers, and program philosophy.<\/p>\n

Typical Home Visit<\/strong> – Brorson noted that the typical home visit<\/a> included eight parts: 1) planning,  2) greeting, 3) activities, 4) observation, 5) demonstration, 6) shared knowledge, 7) follow-up, and 8) scheduling.<\/p>\n

Beliefs of Providers<\/strong> – Providers espoused a belief in collaborative, family-centered interactions with parents, but this was not seen in observations of visits, interviews, or in the reviewed documents. Instead, providers were observed to educate rather than reciprocally collaborate with parents.<\/p>\n

Program Philosophy<\/strong> – Brorson described five assumptions that appeared to guide staff in the delivery of services. These assumptions were:<\/p>\n