Abstract

enthusiasm and for her confidence in my ideas as well as her support throughout the last two years as I embarked on a challenging new beginning. For me the best teachers are those who open their students ´ eyes to new perspectives and new ways of seeing the world and she has done that for me. Thank you. To the participants of this research study for volunteering their time. I would like you all to know that I very much appreciate your collaboration and I hope that this study helps us better understand the challenges service providers face in ECI. To Professor Sikunder Ali for suggesting discourse analysis as a methodology. Thank you for great advice. To Professor Catarina Grande for her feedback and support during the last year of this research. To my friends and colleagues Francisca and Carina for their emotional and practical support over the course of this program. To my family- Nicole, mom, dad and Jonas – for proof reading drafts, for listening to me think aloud, for keeping me well fed, for telling me to take a break and for absolutely everything else including your love. Thank you! Lastly, to the Jordans and to Alak, thank you for inspiring me to work in the field of early intervention and for showing me that collaborative team work and family-centred practice are possible.