Michelle M. Gatmaitan
Published: 2018
Total Pages: 252
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This paper aims to provide a position on the need for enhanced personnel preparation for special instruction in Early Intervention (EI). The need for specialized training is discussed, followed by the research, current issues, and needs. A framework for personnel preparation is provided: professional standards, competencies (knowledge, skills, and dispositions), six content areas, and program elements for instruction, which include coursework and field experiences. Specific emphasis is placed on structuring meaningful field experiences for learning, and a framework for the practicum is described. The practicum should be competency-based, provide multiple opportunities to practice skills, and supervision to support implementation and reflection. Recommendations for state EI systems and personnel preparation programs are provided. A case example illustrating one aspect of personnel preparation, in the form of an exploratory qualitative study, is presented. This study examined the process of how preservice professionals in an EI graduate personnel preparation program develop professional dispositions through their practicum experiences with families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. The author interviewed these practicum students to understand their views on the necessary dispositions for EI as well as to understand the experiences that influenced the formation of these dispositions within their practicum. Analysis of the interviews and participants0́9 self-ratings provided a deeper understanding of their values, attitudes, and beliefs about EI and themselves, and of the specific practicum experiences that led to the development of dispositions. Implications for personnel preparation programs and recommendations for future research are discussed.