Implementation fidelity of video-feedback coaching for communication partners of individuals with congenital deafblindness

Video-feedback (VF) coaching is considered to be an effective part of interventions that aim to improve interactions between individuals with deafblindness and their communication partners. However, there is a lack of research on how VF coaching is implemented and the extent to which such implementation adheres to the designed intervention. Implementation fidelity is essential to successfully applying evidence-based practices, but a certain flexibility is needed to tailor interventions to individual circumstances. This study examined the process of implementing the newly developed Influencing Communication and Language (IC&L) intervention. It focused on implementation fidelity and the adherence and moderator elements described in Carroll et al.’s (2007) conceptual framework. Four coaches and thirteen communication partners participated in the study. Multiple data sources were used to examine the extent to which the coaches adhered to the content and dose of the VF coaching sessions as designed in the IC&L intervention and how potential moderators played a role in coaches’ implementation of the VF coaching sessions. The study underscores the importance of flexibility and adaptation in implementing the IC&L intervention. The variability in adherence and strategy use among coaches highlights the necessity of tailored approaches based on the specific needs and experiences of communication partners. Additionally, the intervention generally lasted longer than intended, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite challenges mostly related to the intervention's complexity, the IC&L intervention was overall well received and effectively implemented.