Telepractice in Early Childhood Intervention: A Parent-Reported Social Validity Scale

Area of Science:

• Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)
• Telehealth and Telepractice
• Psychometric Evaluation

Background:

• Telepractice is increasingly used in Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services.
• Research on telepractice effectiveness and family acceptance in ECI is limited.
• Validated instruments are needed to assess family perceptions of telepractice quality and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an ECI-specific instrument to measure the social validity of telepractice.
• To assess psychometric properties including usability, effectiveness, feasibility, utility, caregiver involvement, and future intentions.
• To ensure the instrument aligns with a family-centered approach in ECI.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 738 families participated in the study.
• An instrument measuring social validity indicators of telepractice was developed.
• Psychometric properties were evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with a split-sample method.

Main Results:

• All seven items of the instrument formed a single factor measuring the social validity of telepractice.
• The instrument demonstrated acceptable internal consistency.
• The scale was sensitive to differences in service delivery types perceived by families.

Conclusions:

• The developed instrument reliably measures the social validity of telepractice in ECI from a family perspective.
• This tool offers valuable insights for professionals to enhance the quality of ECI service delivery.
• The findings support the use of telepractice in ECI when evaluated through a family-centered lens.