Immigrant Families of Children with Autism disorder’s Perceptions of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Services

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs are among the most widely known interventions in autism, but their effects on families have received less attention despite the role that parents play in educating their child. The scarce literature on this topic primarily concerns the experiences of Anglophone, White, and Western families. This study documented the experience of 28 mothers and fathers who immigrated to Canada and received EIBI services provided by the province of Québec. Semi-structured interviews queried families’ vision of EIBI and its consistency with their values and practices, their perception of the family-provider partnership, and the facilitators and obstacles they encountered in implementing EIBI. Results highlighted that families valued being involved and consulted, their partnerships with staff, and the professional and socioemotional competence of staff. These characteristics of EIBI implementation are consistent with the idea of cultural humility in applied behavior analysis.