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Research has established that implementing evidence-based practices with a high procedural fidelity is integral in promoting positive outcomes for students with moderate-to-severe disabilities and more significant support needs. However, special education teachers who teach students with moderate-to-severe developmental disabilities often lack training in adopting and implementing evidence-based practices. This study used a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design to investigate the effects of job-embedded, individualized coaching on a special education teacher's implementation fidelity of systematic instruction for students with disabilities within natural teaching routines. Immediate and maintained increases in the implementation fidelity were found across all systematic instruction components, demonstrating the effectiveness of the individualized coaching intervention. Additionally, a brief social validity assessment at the completion of the study suggested that the coaching procedures were highly acceptable and useful for enhancing the implementation of an evidence-based practice in a natural setting.

This study investigated whether a systematic instruction package was effective in child acquisition of question answering using an iPad-based speech generating device (SGD). The study was conducted with two children with autism using a multiple probe across behaviors design. Results demonstrated that the systematic instruction package consisting of graduated guidance, discrete trial teaching, time delay, and reinforcement resulted in acquisition of answering all questions. Follow-up data were collected one, three, and five weeks after instruction ended. For all participants, skills maintained during follow-up and generalized to novel settings and skills. Social validity data were also collected and indicated that teachers without experience using SGDs found them to be effective and feasible for teaching communication skills.

Early childhood special education teachers require training and support in implementing function-based intervention for challenging behavior. Yet, teacher professional development practices are not universally effective, and teachers may benefit from differentiated supports. The purpose of this study was to pilot and evaluate a multilevel approach to teacher professional development for function-based intervention. The multilevel approach included behavioral skills training, practice-based coaching, and teacher self-monitoring and was evaluated using a multiple baseline across participants single-case research design. Results demonstrated that while all teachers benefited from the professional development, teachers required different levels of support within the multilevel approach. These findings support a growing body of work suggesting that teachers may require varying levels of support to implement evidence-based practices.

The paraeducator workforce as well as the breadth of their responsibilities to serve students in special education has increased considerably in public schools. Unfortunately, research to identify the most effective methods for training paraeducators has not kept pace. Addressing this dynamic, through an implementation science framework, requires a better understanding of contextual factors. In this study, focus groups (FGs) with paraeducators and teachers were conducted to examine (a) responsibilities, training needs, and related issues of paraprofessionals; (b) training needs and related issues of teachers as supervisors of paraeducators; and (c) factors that support or impede special educators' self-efficacy and their perception of competence of their colleagues. Four FGs, homogeneous based on role and assignment (mild vs. moderate-to-severe disabilities), were conducted utilizing a semistructured interview protocol. Qualitative content analysis revealed important challenges and training-related deficiencies experienced by both teachers and paraeducators, as well as suggestions for addressing these issues.

English language development is a critical component for young children's school readiness. In this study, we examined the effect of Read it again-Pre-K! (Justice and McGinty in Read it again!-Prek: a preschool curriculum supplement to promote language and literacy foundations, Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Columbus, 2013), a literacy curriculum designed to prepare young children's school readiness on the English literacy skills of Korean dual language learners in general education. Using a multiple probe design, eight 4- to 5-year-old Korean dual language learners (1 female, 7 males) received 1:1 online synchronous daily instruction over 2 months during the summer before entering their kindergarten programs. Through the intervention, all eight children demonstrated increases in the use of English vocabulary, story comprehension, and oral fluency. Post-intervention data on vocabulary and reading fluency through three standardized tests, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and Expressive Vocabulary Test, showed improvement over baseline for most children. Discussion and implications for future research were provided., Author(s): Sunyoung Kim [sup.1], Veronica Kang [sup.2], Hanae Kim [sup.1], Jing Wang [sup.1], Emily Gregori [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/02mpq6x41, grid.185648.6, 0000 0001 2175 0319, Department of Special Education, University [...]

Technology has been widely used to teach reading skills to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the quality of research backing up this practice has not yet been fully investigated. The purpose of this review was to examine the quality of research on technology-aided reading interventions for students with ASD and summarize study characteristics of research studies with meeting the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) design standards. A total of 31 studies using group design (n = 4) or single-case design (n = 27) were systematically aggregated, and 16 studies (52%) met the WWC design standards. Study features related to participants, intervention, technology usage, and outcome variables were synthesized for these 16 studies. Results indicated that two types of technology (i.e., computer, iPad) were used to deliver reading instruction through software programs or support interventionist-directed reading instruction. Finally, implications for research and practice are discussed.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty engaging in conversations with same-age peers. Deficits in conversation skills can hinder one's ability to sustain friendships and may lead to social isolation. Research has shown that technology-based interventions can improve conversation skills and reduce the social stigmatization of individualized interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of telecoaching and online instructional modules on conversation skills for four high school and college students with ASD. A component analysis was conducted to determine the critical components of the intervention package. Results showed that telecoaching was associated with the most significant improvements in conversation behavior for all participants. Future directions and recommendations for clinicians are discussed.

Young children with intensive behavioral needs are often served by paraprofessionals, who are typically among the least trained and least supported staff in the school. While professional development opportunities to address challenging behavior are generally limited for special education teachers, such professional growth opportunities are often completely unavailable for paraprofessionals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a program in which teachers served as coaches for paraprofessionals. Using a multiple-baseline design across paraprofessional-and-child dyads, we evaluated the effects of the teachers-as-coaches program on paraprofessional implementation fidelity and child engagement in challenging behavior and appropriate communication. The results showed that with teacher coaching, paraprofessionals increased their behavior intervention implementation fidelity to 100%. During the maintenance probes, two of the paraprofessionals implemented the intervention with 100% fidelity, and the third paraprofessional implemented the intervention with higher fidelity than baseline. Results also showed corresponding decreases in child challenging behavior and increases in appropriate communication. Implications for research and practice in supporting paraprofessionals are discussed.

Purpose: Early language intervention is essential for children with indicators of language delay. Enhanced milieu teaching (EMT) is a naturalistic intervention that supports the language development of children with emerging language. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all qualifying singlecase and group design studies that evaluate the experimental effects of EMT on child outcomes. Method: We evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies and conducted a descriptive analysis of study quality, effect sizes, and demographics. We reviewed a total of 29 single-case and 17 group design studies in which 1,590 children participated. Results: Out of 46 studies, 39 met the What Works Clearinghouse standards without reservations, showing low levels of risk of bias. The effects were comparable when EMT was implemented alone and when it was implemented with another intervention component, and EMT was more effective when implemented by caregivers than when implemented by therapists. Most studies did not report sufficient participant demographics. Conclusions: The EMT research literature published thus far is of high study quality; the effects across studies are comparable; and the intervention has been studied via a wide range of delivery modalities, contexts, implementers, and samples. Future research could systematically examine the effects of EMT and explore these varying intervention delivery, implementer, and learner characteristics as moderators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic reviews of single-case experimental research (SCER) in special education often use the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Standards to assess the methodological rigor of studies within a given literature base. While significant changes were made between the two most recent versions of the WWC standards, no research to date has evaluated the extent to which these standards would result in different evaluation outcomes. To examine potential differences, we applied version 4.1 and 5.0 of the standards to a sample database of SCER addressing the challenging behavior of students with autism in general education settings. Systematic search, screening, and review procedures resulted in a total of 20 articles included for this review. Findings indicated a 27% change in overall ratings across the studies, with version 5.0 leading to lower ratings than version 4.1, due to factors such as a lack of assessment of procedural fidelity, therapeutic baseline trends, and insufficient data points in the first baseline phase. We discuss implications for research based on our findings and recommend future directions for SCER in the field of special education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Challenging behavior is a significant barrier in accessing the general education curriculum for students with developmental disabilities. This necessitates the identification of evidence-based practices for addressing challenging behavior in inclusive settings. The purpose of our meta-analysis is to (a) quantify the magnitude of effect of interventions targeting the reduction of challenging behavior in students with developmental disabilities in inclusive educational settings and (b) determine if participant and intervention characteristics moderate intervention effects. A systematic search of academic databases was conducted to identify studies, which were evaluated for methodological rigor and analyzed for effects using Tau-U. Results indicate a strong overall effect of 0.94 (95% CI [0.87, 1]) and moderating variables associated with behavior topography, interventionist, and intervention components were identified.

Functional communication training (FCT) is one of the most common treatments for challenging behavior and is considered an empirically supported practice for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, no previous systematic review has evaluated the quality of FCT for adults with ASD, and the empirical support for this practice among adults is unknown. The purpose of the current review was to synthesize the extant research, including a quality appraisal of the literature on the use of FCT to treat challenging behavior for adults with ASD. We identified 20 studies that evaluated the efficacy of FCT in reducing challenging behavior for adults with ASD. The quality of each article was evaluated based on the What Works Clearinghouse design and evidence standards. Following the quality and evidence evaluations, eight studies, including eight experiments, were found to have "moderate" or "strong evidence" of effectiveness. The current body of literature provides some evidence for the efficacy of FCT in reducing challenging behavior for adults with ASD, but additional research in this area is warranted.

The limitations and challenges of paraprofessional training are well documented. These issues are magnified by the increasing reliance on paraprofessionals to provide vital support for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Despite evidence supporting self-monitoring for improving teacher and paraprofessional skills, there are limited demonstrations of how paraprofessionals improve their use of evidence-based strategies through self-monitoring. This study examined the effects of self-monitoring on paraprofessionals' total use of praise and behavior-specific praise. A first exploratory item included the extent to which any increases in praise covaried with paraprofessional use of reprimands. A second exploratory item determined whether any changes in praise covaried with the engagement and disruptive behavior of their students with EBD. Self-monitoring was associated with increased total praise, a moderately increased use of behavior-specific praise, and improvements in student engagement along with decreases in student disruptive behavior. Implications for behavioral interventions for students with EBD are discussed.

Functional communication training (FCT) is a commonly used, often recommended intervention that involves teaching a functionally equivalent communicative response to replace challenging behavior. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the strength of the evidence for the use of FCT. A systematic review of the literature resulted in the identification of 215 single-case-design articles that evaluated the efficacy of FCT to reduce challenging behavior for individuals diagnosed with a disability. FCT resulted in a decrease in challenging behavior for 135 participants. The reviewers rated FCT as an evidence-based practice for individuals with autism, intellectual disability, other health impairments, and multiple disabilities based on What Works Clearinghouse standards. Overall, the extant literature indicates FCT consistently results in the reduction of challenging behavior in children with disabilities. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a shared reading intervention on narrative story comprehension and task engagement of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A single-case multiple baseline design was used, and three elementary-aged students with ASD participated in this study. The shared reading intervention included before, during, and after reading strategies (i.e., topic anticipation, dynamic reading, story retelling). Results of this study indicated that all participants demonstrated noticeable improvements in reading comprehension. Despite the longer duration of intervention sessions as compared to baseline sessions, participants showed similar or better task engagement with intervention. Improved reading outcomes were maintained at follow up for all participants. Implications for practical implementation and future research were discussed.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of parent training on parent implementation of functional communication training (FCT) in the trained routine and in a novel routine. Three young children with developmental delays and their parents participated. A multiple-probe across parent-child dyads was used to evaluate the impact of parent training on parent fidelity of FCT. The data indicated that verbal and written instructions with performance feedback resulted in accurate implementation of FCT during the trained routine. The generalization assessment suggested that instructions and performance feedback promoted generalization for one parent and an additional training component was needed for another parent. The third parent did not complete the generalization assessment. The results suggest verbal and written instructions and performance feedback can lead to accurate implementation of FCT during the trained routine, but additional training components may be necessary to facilitate generalization to a novel routine.

Although research has shown the benefits of caregiver-implemented interventions, there is still limited intervention research on caregivers from historically underrepresented groups. To increase accessibility and feasibility of interventions among culturally and linguistically diverse populations, studying the social validity or cultural relevance of evidence-based strategies is necessary. In this interview study, we introduced 10 evidencebased intervention strategies through online learning modules to 13 Korean American (KA) caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Then, we interviewed them to explore their experiences with the evidence-based interventions and social validity among the participants. Discussion and implications for future research and practices are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]