Organizational Transformation in Early Intervention Services in “Castilla-La Mancha”: Towards an Approach Centered in the Family

Abstract

A change is taking place in Spain, and internationally, regarding early intervention and the conception of children and disability (Tamarit, 2015). It is moving from a clinical approach, based on the rehabilitation and focused on children, to a more global, systemic and ecological approach centered on the family and natural contexts. However, its scope and generalization remain irregular. In Castilla-La Mancha (a Spanish autonomous region), a transformation effort is being made in this regard. The present study, through in-depth interviews with relevant agents (family members, public administration staff, and professionals who perform coordination and management roles in organizations pertaining to “Plena inclusión Castilla-La Mancha”) and the analysis of its content, has examined the following aspects: progress made in the transformation process; the factors involved, both in the internal life of the services and organizations and in the external environment; and the main obstacles and pending challenges. Based on the information collected, a model is proposed that describes the transformation, facilitating the transfer of knowledge to centers and communities that are developing (or considering it) a similar transformation process towards an approach centered on the family.