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Abstract

Caregiver coaching is utilized in early intervention services with families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing to increase caregivers’ skills and confidence in supporting their child’s language development, but few studies have examined coaching from the perspective of the caregivers. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of caregivers’ experiences of coaching in the context of listening and spoken language intervention services. Using semi-structured, qualitative interviews, this study examined 13 caregivers’ perspectives at three intervention sites in the US and Canada. Results indicate that caregivers perceive that practitioner characteristics, expectations, and the evolution of the coaching relationship over time contribute to a positive caregiver coaching relationship. This study contributes to the understanding of the caregiver coaching experience and has implications for new and experienced practitioners working to improve their practice by establishing and strengthening collaborative caregiver coaching relationships with the families they serve.

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