Latinx Mothers' Experiences With Linkage to Early Intervention

Abstract

This study explored the experiences and perspectives of Latinx mothers of children younger than 3 years who had participated in a developmental screening initiative provided by 2 Federally Qualified Health Centers in an urban setting, had positive developmental screenings, and were referred to early intervention (EI) services. A 2-phase mixed-methods explanatory design was implemented in English and Spanish. In Phase 1, a telephone survey was conducted with 62 parents. In Phase 2, qualitative semistructured interviews (regarding parental experiences with their child's developmental screening, the process of linking to services, the EI evaluation, and subsequent services received) were conducted with a subset of 13 Phase 1 mothers. Results from the phone survey showed that 91% of children were found eligible for EI and 92% were receiving EI services. More than 90% of mothers reported positive experiences with their children's developmental screening, learning about their child's development, and accessing services. However, results from the semistructured interviews revealed that mothers had mixed experiences with the developmental screening process and linkage to EI services. Findings from this study provide insights into the perceived value of EI services by Latinx families and the need for improved system supports to access and navigate EI services.