Social Validity of an Early Intervention Online Professional Development Program

This article presents findings from an online early intervention orientation program developed to provide one state with an economical and systematic means for onboarding new early intervention providers, administrators, and service coordinators. The quantitative findings suggest the courses were a successful method of delivering training to participants, the courses were perceived to achieve their intended objectives, and the courses had high social validity in terms of ease of use and content of the courses. The qualitative findings revealed participants' plans for putting course content into practice. Findings suggest that online course delivery could be a viable and efficient means of providing early intervention orientation to a statewide network. The design of the courses and alignment with adult learning characteristics is discussed. Potential limitations and contributions to the field of early intervention are included.