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We used an iterative process to design the Tiered Coaching Model (TCM) to support preschool teachers' implementation of the Pyramid Model. In the TCM, teachers are matched to one of three coaching tiers based on their observed classroom practices, individual characteristics, and preferences. Those tiers were self-guided coaching, small group coaching, and individual coaching. We describe TCM model development and two field tests exploring its potential usability and effectiveness. In Field Test 1, the model was tested with 16 lead preschool teachers. Focus groups and teacher feedback informed systematic model revisions. In Field Test 2, we gathered preliminary findings from an additional 24 teachers. All teachers across coaching tiers and field tests increased their use of Pyramid Model practices while engaging in the TCM, providing promising evidence for wider demonstrations and future rigorous evaluations of the model.

The field of special education is recognized for conducting research designed to improve the quality of life for the children and families we serve. However, our field has been criticized for empirical approaches that are inconsistent with the values and beliefs we articulate as central to our scientific practice. As such, a shift in our research endeavors is warranted. Given the specific calls within early childhood special education for research programs that consider the marginalized experiences of children and families, we posit five guidelines to reframe social and emotional intervention research in early childhood special education as justice-oriented. These guidelines are (1) understand the historical and immediate context of research participants; (2) incorporate best practices in social and emotional assessment to reduce bias; (3) center children's and families' voices in social validity measures; (4) address confounding variables to fidelity of implementation; and (5) examine diversity in research team composition.

The global pandemic has meant that some schools are back in session with new and changing rules, and others are providing remote learning. The U.S. Department of Education has addressed specialized instruction through remote learning for children with disabilities, including addressing misconceptions about service delivery for children with disabilities making clear that school districts and early intervention programs are mandated to continue providing meaningful educational opportunities for children with disabilities (United States Department of Education, 2020). Children with disabilities have a right to services that address their IEP goals during the pandemic, and teachers are being asked to be innovative and flexible and work with families to create equitable learning opportunities to support children's interactions with each other. During this unusual and difficult time, many families do not have access to email to answer questionnaires, limited capacity to answer phone calls, unreliable or no access to the internet, or no or inadequate devices to support instructional platforms. District and school leaders need to support teachers in identifying and addressing these challenges to provide equitable access to learning opportunities. In this article, the authors provide strategies for quality virtual instruction with an emphasis on family engagement.

The Latino community has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in unique challenges. This paper explores the lived experiences of five Spanish-speaking Latina mothers of young children receiving early childhood special education (ECSE) services during the pandemic. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, this paper focuses on the following research questions: (1) What barriers have Spanish-speaking Latino families encountered in ECSE service delivery during this pandemic? (2) How have families overcome those barriers? Latina mothers describe how despite encountering numerous barriers to ECSE service delivery during the pandemic, they also experienced key areas of support and strength. We discuss how ECSE professionals can leverage these sources of support and strength in a culturally responsive manner to better support the Latino community through the pandemic. By presenting interviews with Latina mothers, this paper offers a unique interpretation of their experience, which is often left out of educational research.

Challenging behaviors are linked to negative long-term developmental outcomes for young children with disabilities and remain a primary focus of service delivery for many early intervention practitioners and families. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a tiered prevention framework that recommends evidence-based positive behavior support (PBS) strategies to effectively address young children's challenging behaviors and promote prosocial skills. However, there is limited research investigating the feasibility of a PBIS approach in Part C early intervention settings, which employ a family-centered approach to serve an increasingly culturally and linguistically heterogeneous population of young children and their families. This article presents findings from a convergent mixed methods study aiming to understand the impact of PBIS approach components implemented in an early intervention context (PBIS-EI) to support diverse families in addressing children's challenging behaviors at home. EI practitioners' implementation of PBS strategies is measured over time and practitioner experiences with supporting parents' use of PBS strategies are explored via qualitative interviews. Findings show increases in EI practitioner confidence and implementation of strategies, as well as practitioner-reported experiences. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a worldwide disruption of education service systems. A significant gap has emerged in understanding the impact of these changes to both educational services and child development. The current qualitative study presents interviews with early childhood educators and parents to capture their experiences with educational service delivery for young children with disabilities during the pandemic. The study included nine early childhood educators and nine parents with children between the ages of 3 and 6 who received preschool special education services during the pandemic. Themes that emerged from the interviews include changes to the modality and intensity of services, barriers and challenges related to service delivery, and benefits resulting from shifts to educational services. All findings will be discussed with an eye toward informing future practice related to family-centered services.

Mixed methods research (MMR) has the potential to be a powerful tool to expand the ways early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) scholarship understands and informs practice. Integration, or the purposeful combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, is central for rigorous MMR. However, it can be challenging to identify and enact integration because integration processes and procedures can vary greatly depending on a study's purpose(s), design, and underlying philosophical assumptions and priorities. In this article, we offer guidance on ways EI/ECSE researchers can engage in meaningful and purposeful integration. We highlight three critical decision-making points: integration dimension or type, integration timing, and relative emphasis of methods when integrating. Additionally, we discuss related considerations to particularly ensure strong qualitative designs and integration within MMR.

Physical activity (PA) is linked to multiple positive health outcomes for young children, with potential benefits in other domains as well. Engaging in higher intensity PA may produce positive gains for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), especially in academic engagement and on-task behavior. However, there is limited research documenting current levels of PA in young children with ASD and effective strategies for early childhood educators to increase PA. The aim of this study is to address these gaps by examining the extent to which embedded antecedent exercise (AE) increases and sustains engagement for children with ASD in early childhood settings. Three kindergarten students with ASD participated in this study, using a single-case withdrawal design to investigate the relationship between intensity of PA and student engagement during two unique classroom activities. Overall, results showed an increase in student engagement across classroom activities after participating in embedded AE.

Early intervention (EI) providers--who deliver Part C services under the purview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for children birth-3 years old with/at risk of disabilities--play an important role in promoting the development of young children and their caregivers. Enhancing caregiver capacity to meet the developmental needs of their children with disabilities is central to EI services. Through home visits, EI providers focus on supporting caregivers in building capacity, competence, and confidence to promote their children's development. The purpose of this manuscript is to share strategies that support an effective and efficient EI home visit via tele-intervention.

Research Findings: This paper presents findings from an exploratory study to define associations between social-emotional teaching practices and teacher characteristics through a person-centered approach. The sample consisted of 97 teachers working in center-based early childhood education settings with young children ages 2-5 in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. We analyzed teachers' observed classroom social-emotional teaching practices and self-reported Professional Development (PD) experiences, job attitudes (e.g., job-related stress, satisfaction, and commitment), and disciplinary efficacy to identify profile membership of teachers. A latent profile analysis revealed 4 profiles: (a) higher practice quality, higher PD experience, higher job attitudes, and higher disciplinary efficacy, (b) higher practice quality, mixed PD experience, lower job attitudes, and lower disciplinary efficacy, (c) lower practice quality, mixed PD experience, higher job attitudes, and higher disciplinary efficacy, and (d) lower practice quality, mixed PD experience, mixed job attitudes, and lower disciplinary efficacy. Practice or Policy: The results suggest that a person-centered approach to understanding classroom quality might provide multiple dimensions to consider for quality improvement. Additionally, a tailored and tiered professional development approach to support the early childhood workforce is needed that considers the complex connections between teachers' practices, beliefs, and job attitudes.

A family's journey in understanding their child's behaviors in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) frequently begins with screening. This study aimed to characterize the interpretive processes that unfold for parents. We employed longitudinal interviews with 19 families engaged in a community-based multi-stage screening protocol. Parents participated in 1-6 interviews dependent upon children's length of engagement in the screening protocol; data were analyzed through modified grounded theory. Parents who moved towards understanding their child's behaviors as ASD expressed (1) sensitization to ASD symptoms, (2) differentiation from other developmental conditions, and (3) use of the ASD diagnosis to explain the etiology of concerning behaviors. Identifying interpretive processes involved during ASD screening provides new opportunities for shared decision-making.

A family's journey in understanding their child's behaviors in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) frequently begins with screening. This study aimed to characterize the interpretive processes that unfold for parents. We employed longitudinal interviews with 19 families engaged in a community-based multi-stage screening protocol. Parents participated in 1-6 interviews dependent upon children's length of engagement in the screening protocol; data were analyzed through modified grounded theory. Parents who moved towards understanding their child's behaviors as ASD expressed (1) sensitization to ASD symptoms, (2) differentiation from other developmental conditions, and (3) use of the ASD diagnosis to explain the etiology of concerning behaviors. Identifying interpretive processes involved during ASD screening provides new opportunities for shared decision-making., Author(s): Thomas I. Mackie [sup.1] [sup.2] , Ana J. Schaefer [sup.1] , Leah Ramella [sup.3] , Alice S. Carter [sup.4] , Abbey Eisenhower [sup.4] , Manuel E. Jimenez [sup.5] , [...]

U.S. guidelines for detecting autism emphasize screening and also incorporate clinical judgment. However, most research focuses on the former. Among 1,654 children participating in a multi-stage screening protocol for autism, we used mixed methods to evaluate: (1) the effectiveness of a clinical decision rule that encouraged further assessment based not only on positive screening results, but also on parent or provider concern, and (2) the influence of shared decision-making on screening administration. Referrals based on concern alone were cost-effective in the current study, and reported concerns were stronger predictors than positive screens of time-to-complete referrals. Qualitative analyses suggest a dynamic relationship between parents' concerns, providers' concerns, and screening results that is central to facilitating shared decision-making and influencing diagnostic assessment.

In Tanzania, many people are not aware of the concept of learning disabilities. Parents and teachers often do not realise that children who do poorly in school and do not have visible disabilities, could still have a disability that is causing their poor school performance. This paper presents the results of a research and service project to identify and support students with mild disabilities in an inclusive school in Tanzania during the three-year pilot process. An international NGO implemented a culturally-relevant, curriculum-based assessment for screening grade 1 students with potential delays or disabilities and provided Tier 2 interventions through small group lessons. In this three-year study, 413 students were screened, 108 students received Tier 2 services and six students received Tier 3 services. Students in Tier 2 received small group instruction in mathematics and literacy as a pull-out programme. Students in Tier 3 attended a special school for children with disabilities. Results showed that students who received Tier 2 intervention made statistically significant gains in their assessment scores after six and twelve months of services. This study demonstrated one successful assessment and intervention model in a typical Tanzanian school to support young children with disabilities to improve their academic outcomes.

As educators begin to understand the need for a social-emotional learning curriculum for young students, finding opportunities to implement a curriculum that supports students' social-emotional development is important. Research supports that using shared reading opportunities that are common in young students' in-school and out-of-school routines to embed social-emotional learning could have potential impact for young students' social emotional as well as academic development. This article describes an exploratory mixed-methods case study that examines the use of dialogic book reading strategies in promoting social-emotional skills of young elementary students in an after-school program in the United States. A pre-post case study design was employed to examine preliminary social-emotional outcomes. In addition, parent interviews were conducted to explore the perceived benefits of the intervention in the home environment. The results suggest that dialogic reading may be a helpful strategy to promote young students' social-emotional learning. The implications for research and practice are discussed.

Dialogic reading (DR) is an evidence-based practice for young children who are typically developing and at risk for developmental delays, with encouraging evidence for children with disabilities. The purpose of this review was to comprehensively evaluate the evidence base of DR across early childhood settings, with specific attention to fidelity features. We coded identified studies (n = 30) published in peer-reviewed journals on a number of variables, including participant characteristics, setting, adherence to intervention components, fidelity of training procedures, implementation fidelity, dependent variables, overall outcomes, and study rigor. Our findings indicate wide variance is present in adherence to the DR protocol despite all studies reporting use of DR. In addition, although most researchers describe training procedures, none reported fidelity of those practices. Variability was also noted in how the implementation of DR with children is monitored in research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a worldwide disruption of education service systems. A significant gap has emerged in understanding the impact of these changes to both educational services and child development. The current qualitative study presents interviews with early childhood educators and parents to capture their experiences with educational service delivery for young children with disabilities during the pandemic. The study included nine early childhood educators and nine parents with children between the ages of 3 and 6 who received preschool special education services during the pandemic. Themes that emerged from the interviews include changes to the modality and intensity of services, barriers and challenges related to service delivery, and benefits resulting from shifts to educational services. All findings will be discussed with an eye toward informing future practice related to family-centered services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed methods research (MMR) has the potential to be a powerful tool to expand the ways early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) scholarship understands and informs practice. Integration, or the purposeful combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, is central for rigorous MMR. However, it can be challenging to identify and enact integration because integration processes and procedures can vary greatly depending on a study's purpose(s), design, and underlying philosophical assumptions and priorities. In this article, we offer guidance on ways EI/ECSE researchers can engage in meaningful and purposeful integration. We highlight three critical decision-making points: integration dimension or type, integration timing, and relative emphasis of methods when integrating. Additionally, we discuss related considerations to particularly ensure strong qualitative designs and integration within MMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to describe a group coaching model and present preliminary evidence of its impact on teachers' implementation of Pyramid Model practices. In particular, we described coaching strategies used to support teachers in reflecting and problem solving on the implementation of the evidence-based strategies. Preliminary results of six pre-school teachers in an early childhood education program who participated in the group coaching were presented. The exploratory data provided findings of impact of the group coaching model and demonstrated that teachers' implementation of the Pyramid Model practices increased after receiving group coaching. Implications for practice and future research were discussed.

This study examined the effects of e-coaching on the implementation of a functional assessment-based intervention delivered by an early intervention provider in reducing challenging behaviors during home visits. A multiple baseline design across behavior support plan components was used with a provider-child dyad. The e-coaching intervention consisted of weekly training and support delivered via video conferencing software. Results demonstrated a functional relation between e-coaching and early intervention provider implementation of targeted behavior support plan strategies. Furthermore, the child's challenging behaviors decreased over the course of the study. Contributions to the literature, implications for practice, and future directions are discussed.

Professional development (PD) is a critical pathway for promoting the use of evidence-based intervention practices in early childhood (EC) settings. Coaching has been proposed as a type of PD that is especially promising for job-embedded learning. A lack of consensus exists regarding evidence-based EC coaching strategies and what types of support coaches need to implement these strategies. In this literature review, we analyzed the EC coaching literature in terms of coaching strategies shown to improve EC practitioners' use of effective intervention practices, coaching model components and strategies, the rigor and quality of the research, and the preparation provided to coaches in the identified articles. We conclude with recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of coaching and improving the preparation of coaches who serve in EC settings.

This review of the literature was conducted to explore the evidence base for functional assessment-based interventions (FABIs) for one systematic approach developed by Umbreit, Ferro, Liaupsin, and Lane (2007). Specifically, this review examined the evidence base for this systematic approach to FABI for young students by applying quality indicators and evidence-based standards. A secondary purpose was to identify the extent to which classroom teachers were involved in the FABI process. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria of intervening with young students (i.e., preschool through third grade) with or at risk for disabilities using this one systematic approach to FABI. Although seven studies demonstrated positive effects and met all eight quality indicators (Council for Exceptional Children [CEC], 2014), indicating they were methodologically sound, these seven cases represented 14 students falling short of the recommended 20 participants (CEC, 2014). This review provides evidence for deeming this FABI model a potential evidence-based practice for use with young students. Limitations and future direction are discussed.

This study examined the effects of coaching on the implementation of functional assessment--based parent intervention in reducing children's challenging behaviors. A multiple baseline across participants design was used with three parent-child dyads with children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. The intervention consisted of training and delayed coaching to examine the effects of coaching following the training session. Results document that when coaching was provided, parents were able to implement the function-based strategies consistently at a high level, which resulted in the reduction of children's challenging behaviors. Contributions to the literature, implications, and future directions are discussed.

The purpose of this review was to analyze fidelity features in parent-implemented interventions for young children with disabilities. The authors conducted a review of 24 studies published in nine peer-reviewed journals. Each identified article was scored on the following categories: the participant characteristics, settings, study design, independent variables, measurement of implementation and intervention fidelity, parent training components, dependent variables, social validity, overall outcomes, and study rigor. The results indicated that, although all studies described parent training components, few reported implementation fidelity. Across the studies trainers were most likely to use performance-based feedback and modeling to support parent implementation of the intervention. Although 20 studies used single-case design methodologies, only 2 studies met contemporary single-case research design standards. The authors provide an analysis of implications for future research related to supporting high-fidelity implementation of parent-implemented interventions.

Challenging behavior is often a source of frustration for parents. Challenging behavior is defined as any behavior that interferes with children's learning and development, is harmful to children and to others, and puts a child at risk for later social problems or school failure (Bailey & Wolery, 1992; Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2003). Children's challenging behaviors can affect a family's ability to participate in home routines and community activities. When children engage in persistent challenging behavior, the importance of designing effective behavior interventions in collaboration with parents cannot be overstated. The purpose of this article is to help early childhood practitioners collaborate with parents to identify the purpose of challenging behaviors, determine effective strategies to address these behaviors, and create a behavior support plan that "fits" the needs of the child as well as the family. Guidelines for observing challenging behaviors and creating behavior support plans also are described. Throughout the article, examples are presented to illustrate ideas that are presented; however, these examples are not meant to be comprehensive or exhaustive. (Contains 3 tables.)

Challenging behaviors are linked to negative long-term developmental outcomes for young children with disabilities and remain a primary focus of service delivery for many early intervention practitioners and families. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a tiered prevention framework that recommends evidence-based positive behavior support (PBS) strategies to effectively address young children's challenging behaviors and promote prosocial skills. However, there is limited research investigating the feasibility of a PBIS approach in Part C early intervention settings, which employ a family-centered approach to serve an increasingly culturally and linguistically heterogeneous population of young children and their families. This article presents findings from a convergent mixed methods study aiming to understand the impact of PBIS approach components implemented in an early intervention context (PBIS-EI) to support diverse families in addressing children's challenging behaviors at home. EI practitioners' implementation of PBS strategies is measured over time and practitioner experiences with supporting parents' use of PBS strategies are explored via qualitative interviews. Findings show increases in EI practitioner confidence and implementation of strategies, as well as practitioner-reported experiences. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children Recommended Practices (DEC RPs; [2]) were created to be practical and ubiquitous; thus, they can continue to guide teachers, like Constance and Sam, even during a global pandemic. I This is Constance's eighth year as an early childhood special education teacher in Fox Hill, which is a large suburban school system in the southeast United States. Steph (20 min)10am: Ms. Sam & Ms. Constance10am: Ms. Sam & Ms. Constance10am: Ms. Sam & Ms. Constance10am: Ms. Sam & Ms. Constance6pm: Check in call with Ms. Constance ht 1 I Note i . [Extracted from the article]

The Latino community has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in unique challenges. This paper explores the lived experiences of five Spanish-speaking Latina mothers of young children receiving early childhood special education (ECSE) services during the pandemic. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, this paper focuses on the following research questions: (1) What barriers have Spanish-speaking Latino families encountered in ECSE service delivery during this pandemic? (2) How have families overcome those barriers? Latina mothers describe how despite encountering numerous barriers to ECSE service delivery during the pandemic, they also experienced key areas of support and strength. We discuss how ECSE professionals can leverage these sources of support and strength in a culturally responsive manner to better support the Latino community through the pandemic. By presenting interviews with Latina mothers, this paper offers a unique interpretation of their experience, which is often left out of educational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]