Exploring Perceptions and Use of Compassionate Care with Early Interventionists and Caregivers: A Mixed Methods Investigation

Compassionate care is integral to forming positive, collaborative relationships with caregivers. The field of behavior analysis has identified a need to integrate compassionate care into professional development and service provision practices. Taylor and colleagues (2019) proposed core skills with operationally defined subskills to teach compassionate care across the domains of empathy, compassion, collaboration, and positive social interactions. The present study utilized a convergent mixed methods design to investigate the use compassionate care skills from the perspectives of early interventionists (EI) and the caregivers they coach. Data from online questionnaires, compassionate care logs, and semi-structured interviews allowed for a deeper understanding of the role and potential of compassionate care. Findings indicate that EI providers and caregivers value compassionate care and noted specific benefits related to improved outcomes, relationship building, and satisfaction. Overall, findings suggest areas of growth for compassion and collaboration skills that are relevant for the field of applied behavior analysis. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.