First Advisor

Ferrell, Kay Alicyn

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

8-2019

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Special Education, Special Education Student Work

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to show that teleintervention can be used to provide early intervention (EI) services, specifically orientation and mobility (O&M) support services, to very young children and their families in the sensory impairment field of blindness and visual impairment (BVI). Teleintervention has been shown to be an effective method of providing EI services to very young children and their families in the sensory impairment field of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). However, there are no previous empirical studies that address the use of teleintervention in providing any specialized instruction/services to young children with BVI and their families in the EI system. A qualitative investigation using a multiple case approach was used to explore O&M support services when they were delivered through in-person consultations and via teleintervention for three families (n = 3) of children with BVI in EI. The data for this study were collected through multiple sources and analyzed using multiple methods. Data collected from interviews, field notes, video-recorded sessions of home visits, and documents were analyzed to obtain the results for this study. The results of the data analyses revealed that participants perceived O&M support services in person, as they were currently being provided in EI, as the best way to help them and their children learn skills and concepts related to O&M, with teleintervention being a good supplement or alternative if needed. Additionally, home visiting practices were observed to be similar when O&M support services were delivered in person or via teleintervention. The results of the study also found that the costs of in-person O&M support home visits were higher than the costs for teleintervention O&M support home visits. Conclusions drawn from the study suggest that teleintervention has the potential to be a successful and viable way to supplement, not replace, in-person O&M support home visits with families of children with BVI, particularly to increase the availability and frequency of services. However, guidelines are needed to help direct families and providers in successfully implementing teleintervention home visit sessions to accommodate the dynamic aspects of O&M support visits, such as travel out in the community. Concerns associated with maintaining the safety of the children and their caregivers while engaging in teleintervention O&M support visits must be addressed as this model of service delivery is evaluated further.

Abstract Format

html

Extent

256 pages

Local Identifiers

PhangiaDewald_unco_0161D_10755.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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