Naturalistic, Developmental, and Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are an empirically supported intervention approach for young autistic children and their families. Spanish-speaking (SS) Latinx families have been underrepresented in autism intervention research, limiting our understanding of whether NDBIs are aligned with Latinx family values and…

Few studies have reported outcomes from the delivery of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) in group-based community care. Further, while the importance of inclusion for autistic individuals is well established, there is little research on the feasibility of community-based inclusion programs for preschool-aged autistic…

Limited research has examined the active ingredients and mechanisms of change of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs). The present study used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to develop a comprehensive Theory of Change of Project ImPACT, an empirically supported NDBI. We used qualitative data from interviews…

Few studies examine the effectiveness of community-based early interventions in unselected samples of autistic children, especially those from minoritized backgrounds. These types of studies require attention to strategies for recruitment, retention, data collection, and support for community providers beyond those used in university-based trials.…

A majority of children's language learning experiences occur in inclusive early child care and education settings. Few evidence-based professional development (PD) programs exist to empower early childhood education providers to use language instruction practices with children in inclusive classrooms. There is little research on providers'…

Over the past decade, a newer class of interventions has emerged specifically designed for young children with or at high likelihood of autism, which are called Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). NDBIs are particularly well-suited as a discipline agnostic, primary intervention for young children with autism and other…

This article describes the development and use of a first of its kind statewide implementation of an adapted Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). Supported by a collaborative partnership between stakeholders that included families, state agencies, and a state university, the intervention was implemented within the existing framework of a northeastern…

Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) strategies appear to be well-suited for implementation by preschool teachers of young children ages 3 through 5, yet research exploring NDBI implementation within this specific context is extremely limited. We applied an implementation science framework to examine reported knowledge,…

Younger siblings of autistic children are at a high likelihood (HL) of autism, language, and/or cognitive delays. Vocal complexity, a continuous measure of the developmental maturity of vocal communication, is facilitated by parent-child interaction and predicts language outcomes. This study examined whether parents' intervention fidelity to…

We used a multiple baseline across strategies design to determine the effect of technology-enhanced performance-based feedback on parent's use of preventive strategies to address children's challenging behaviors for two parent--child dyads. A father, mother, and each of their young children participated. We also measured associated child outcomes…

Preschoolers' language abilities are associated with their social interactions in early childhood classrooms. Few studies, however, have examined associations between social interactions and objective measures of children's real-time classroom language environments, information key to informing interventions to support preschool children at risk…

Mindfulness strategies can have a large impact on emotional regulation, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships. Parents of children on the autism spectrum may experience greater stress, depression, and strained interpersonal relationships than those with typically developing children or those with children experiencing other…

Language ability has been associated with emotion regulation (ER) ability. Children on the autism spectrum have greater rates of language delays and lower ER ability. Despite this, autism traits have not been considered or controlled for in past research. This study therefore examined the association between language ability and ER in young…

Therapeutic playgroups have potential to benefit families and children enrolled in early intervention. A pretest-posttest, mixed methods, sequential explanatory design was utilized to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of an 8-week SEE Me (Social Emotional Education) therapeutic playgroup delivered by a collaborative team of providers using…

Parent education programs are important avenues through which parents of children with developmental delays can learn new skills to help them with child-rearing challenges. However, those in economic hardship often face problems with applying these skills at home where the child's learning and/or behavioral problems commonly occur. In this…