National Survey of State Level Training and Technical Assistance Systems for Early Intervention Professionals

The status of state level training and technical assistance systems for early intervention providers has not been systematically collected or organized. The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the current personnel preparation systems for early intervention professionals in each state. Systems that provide and maintain effective and comprehensive personnel preparation and development will serve as models for national standards.

State coordinators who oversee birth to 3 early intervention service provision were contacted to complete a survey via telephone with trained interviewers. The survey consists of discrete and open-ended items about funding, delivery methods, content, needs assessment, quality assurance and other areas pertaining to training and technical assistance.

Preliminary findings indicate the organizational structures within states vary greatly. Systems tend to be accessible throughout the states and target multiple disciplines. The most commonly offered training topics include Federal Regulations and agency specific policies and procedures, transition, inclusion, child and family outcome measurements, and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The majority of training is provided through workshops and conferences; however, a growing number of states are currently utilizing or developing distance learning methods. Technical assistance is typically delivered via telephone, email or onsite.

Determining training and technical assistance needs, evaluation and quality assurance pose challenges for states. Results indicate that there is a need for greater systemization of these processes. Further analyses of these systems and features will be presented including policy implications for creating a national model.