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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.

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.

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.

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 ap...

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 (a) understand the historical and immediate context of research participants; (b) incorporate best practices in social and emotional assessment to reduce bias; (c) center children’s and families’ voices in social validity measures; (d) address confounding variables to fidelity of implementation; and (e) examine diversity in research team composition.

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.

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 disab...

U.S. guidelines for detecting autism emphasize screening and also incorporate clinical judgment. However, most research focusses 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.

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.

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. T...

Social-emotional learning (SEL) and literacy skills are key components of child development. School counselors are charged with supporting children’s holistic development to prepare them for adulth...

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.

Two studies evaluated Recognition & Response (R&R)—an instructional system consisting of formative assessment, foundational instruction, and targeted small-group lessons designed for use with pre-kindergarteners. Study 1 involved 174 four-year-old children (83 target and 91 comparison) from 24 classrooms in community-based programs, and Study 2 involved 213 four-year-old children (106 target and 107 comparison) from 24 classrooms in one large school district. In both studies, teachers administered a brief, standardized language and literacy assessment to select the four lowest-scoring children within each classroom (Recognition), and then provided small-group lessons to these target children using a curriculum focused on language and literacy skills (Response). Across both studies, the results indicated that target children who received the small-group lessons showed larger gains on some language and literacy skills than a comparison group consisting of classmates who had lower than average scores at baseline and did not receive the small-group lessons. Target children made greater gains than the comparison group in print knowledge in Study 1 and in vocabulary and phonological awareness in Study 2. Both studies found high levels of implementation fidelity and treatment acceptability among the teachers who implemented the intervention.

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. Further, the child's challenging behaviors decreased over the course of the study. Contributions to the literature, implications for practice, and future directions are discussed.

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.

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 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.

We used an existing body of research (i.e., parent implemented functional-assessment based interventions) to examine visual analysis features and processes and evaluate the reliability of two frequently used non-overlap indices (NAP & Tau-U) and a novel effect size index—the between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD). Results indicated that visual analysis terms and procedures were inconsistently used across studies. Further, there was limited agreement between the non-overlap indices and independent visual analysis. Results regarding the BC-SMD were inconclusive given only 5 of the 15 studies were eligible for analyses for different dependent variables. Our results suggest that visual analysis standards are needed by which single case researchers analyze and report their results. Further, additional research is needed refining SCR effect sizes, which can be used to describe the magnitude of change within and across SCR studies with functional relations.

The purpose of this literature review was to analyze the research on parent-implemented functional assessment (FA)-based interventions for reducing children’s challenging behaviors. Thirteen studies met the review inclusion criteria. These studies were analyzed across independent variables, types of parent coaching and support provided, measurement of implementation and intervention fidelity, child dependent variables, social validity, and study rigor. Overall, the evidence provide some support that parents can be trained to implement FA-based interventions with follow-up coaching and support, and these interventions reduce children’s challenging behaviors and increase children’s use of appropriate behaviors. However, inadequacies in study rigor and reporting of the implementation and intervention fidelity limit interpretations. Implications for practice and future research 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.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perspectives of Filipino immigrant mothers regarding the roles and focus of their interactions with their infants and toddlers. Qualitative procedures were used to analyse transcripts from structured, open‐ended interviews with 24 mothers of 10‐ to 36‐month‐old children. Statements of mothers were organised into three themes, within which several subthemes were identified.

Isaac is learning ways to complete hisnightly bedtime routine; Omar is fol -lowing cues to control his disruptiveand impulsive behavior; Peter isbecoming more independent withlibrary routines; and Adriana hasbenefited from visual support withlearning hand-washing and toiletingroutines.Most of us use visual supports tonavigate our days (calendars, maps,watches, to-do lists—even high-techversions of these supports), so why notprovide similar supports to young chil -dren? We must particularly be sensi -tive to the needs of children who canbenefit greatly from them: young child-ren with autism spectrum disorder.There are many helpful kinds of visualsupports teachers can use in the class -room every day, modifying andenhancing them as children becomemore and more independent. Indeed,both parents and teachers have usedmany of these tools successfully with

The purpose of this study was to identify evidenced-based, focused intervention practices for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. This study was an extension and elaboration of a previous evidence-based practice review reported by Odom et al. (Prev Sch Fail 54:275–282, 2010b, doi: 10.1080/10459881003785506 ). In the current study, a computer search initially yielded 29,105 articles, and the subsequent screening and evaluation process found 456 studies to meet inclusion and methodological criteria. From this set of research studies, the authors found 27 focused intervention practices that met the criteria for evidence-based practice (EBP). Six new EBPs were identified in this review, and one EBP from the previous review was removed. The authors discuss implications for current practices and future research.

This study examined the effects of group parent training on children’s challenging behaviors in home settings. Eight parents of young children with challenging behaviors were trained in a large group setting on using functional assessment to design interventions that fit the strengths and needs of individual families. The training included information sharing and collaborating with parents on designing functional-assessment based interventions. An Interrupted Time Series Design was used to examine the effects of large group training by comparing parent and child behaviors prior to intervention with behaviors after the intervention. Data were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA. The results indicated that group training increased parents’ ability to implement functional assessment based strategies and these strategies resulted in a significant reduction in children’s challenging behaviors. Furthermore, parent implementation of functional assessment based strategies and children’s decreased levels of challenging behaviors were maintained after the completion of the intervention.