Early intervention services through the perspective of rural families in Stanislaus County

Rural families are too often excluded from Special Education research. This research projects aims to understand how and how well the needs are met for four families living in rural communities in Stanislaus County. Four mothers shared their experiences through the use of an initial questionnaire, in-depth semi-structured interview and a review of their most recent IFSP/IEP report. Five themes arose from data collected including: (a) access to information and services, (b) individualized support, (c) service providers, (d) community resources, and (e) gratitude. Implications include truly executing a social model of disability, service provider and SPED teacher preparation to work in rural areas, policy changes to increase funding, and building community capacity.