Caregiver-Implemented Early Language Interventions in Puerto Rico: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Provider and Caregiver Practices and Perspectives to Develop Culturally Responsive Interventions. - Project Summary Early intervention is crucial to improve academic and social outcomes for children at risk for language impairment. Intervening in the early stages of development is key to taking advantage of brain plasticity, which is more effective in early childhood. Coaching caregivers to use language facilitation strategies with their children has been documented as an effective approach to support children’s communication development. It has been shown that caregivers can be taught general and specific language support strategies, which appears to be associated with substantial language growth in young children. Hence, caregivers play a critical role in their children’s language development and are known as children’s first language teachers. However, the majority of this research has been conducted with White, non-Hispanic families, limiting equitable access to culturally and linguistically appropriate caregiver-implemented early language interventions for Latine children. We propose to conduct formative research to gather key information about current early intervention practices used by speech-language providers and early interactions between caregivers and their children with language delays in Puerto Rico. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the use of coaching practices by speech-language providers and the use of naturalistic language facilitation strategies by caregivers in Puerto Rico, with the ultimate goal of developing or adapting a caregiver-implemented early language intervention that could benefit this population. We will characterize the use of naturalistic language facilitation strategies by caregivers and the factors that influence the use of these strategies (Aim 1), examine the use of language facilitation strategies and coaching practices by speech- language providers, and identify the factors that influence the use of coaching practices (Aim 2) and describe the perspectives of speech-language providers and caregivers about caregiver-implemented early language interventions (Aim 3). The long-term goal of this study is to use this formative research to inform the selection and adaptation of a caregiver-implemented early language intervention that responds to the cultural and linguistic needs of Puerto Rican families and speech-language providers. This innovative proposal brings a much-needed focus to the needs of underserved and historically marginalized families in Puerto Rico. This project will have a significant impact because this formative research will be the first step towards adapting and implementing the first culturally and linguistically responsive caregiver-implemented early language intervention for families in Puerto Rico.
