There's No Place Like Home: Training, Practices and Perceptions of Homebound Services

Abstract

Homebound services involve the delivery of special education in settings other than school sites. Such settings typically include students’ homes or hospitals. Most often associated with early childhood special education and with students who are medically or physically fragile, homebound services can also be for those in need of interim alternative educational settings (IAES). Although homebound services have been available to some students with disabilities for more than 50 years, little research exists on that delivery model. This study investigated the training, practices and perceptions of service providers who work in homebound settings. Data from a self-administered survey of a national sample were analyzed. Key findings included: a widespread lack of training for professionals who delivered homebound services; an absence of school district or agency policies or procedure concerning the delivery of such services; and statistically significantly higher perceptions of self-efficacy by those who did receive training.