Outcomes reported by Spanish-speaking families in early intervention

Olmsted, M., Bailey, D., Kick, M., Nelson, R. E., Robinson, N. D., Simpson, M. E., & Guillen, C. (2010). Outcomes reported by Spanish-speaking families in early intervention. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 30(1), 46-55. DOI: 10.1177/0271121409360827

In this study, the authors use data from two states to compare how families participating in early intervention who completed a Spanish version of the Family Outcomes Survey (FOS) ( n = 291) compared with Hispanic (n = 486) and non-Hispanic ( n = 2,363) families who completed the English version. In general, most families reported positive outcomes, but there was variability in their responses. Families completing the survey in Spanish consistently reported lower outcome attainment than both Hispanic and non-Hispanic families completing the FOS in English. They also reported lower perceptions of the helpfulness of early intervention, but the three groups did not differ with regard to perceptions of family-centered practices. Factor analysis revealed that constructs assessed by the survey are similar for both the English and Spanish version of the survey. Hierarchical linear models analysis within the Spanish-language group indicated that family-centered practices were significantly related to family outcomes.