Search

Caregiver-mediated interventions for young autistic children are increasingly considered standard of care. These interventions share two sets of components: strategies to improve children's communication, behavior, and development; and procedures to coach caregivers to implement those strategies. To date, no review has examined how caregiver coaching is described in caregiver-mediated intervention manuals. We assessed how caregiver coaching is described in caregiver-mediated intervention manuals for young autistic children. We conducted a scoping review to identify publicly available manuals that are designed to support providers in their practice; target core or co-occurring symptoms that affect young autistic children; and were tested as caregiver-mediated interventions in randomized controlled trials. We identified 11 publicly available manuals that met inclusion criteria. Manuals were coded using a summative content analysis to identify the presence and frequency of descriptions of caregiver coaching. The content analysis highlighted a wide range in the descriptions of caregiver coaching. Many intervention manuals did not include specific descriptions of caregiver coaching. Intervention developers should include explicit information about how to coach caregivers. Implementation strategies that specifically target caregiver coaching can serve as critical supports to increase the use of coaching in early intervention.

New school transitions can be challenging for students on the autism spectrum. No published, evidence-based interventions exist to support families and teachers of students transitioning to elementary and secondary school during this critical period. Using Community Partnered Participatory Research, we developed Building Better Bridges (BBB), a caregiver coaching intervention that includes training on effective school communication, educational rights, advocacy, and child preparation strategies. We compared BBB (n = 83) to a module/resources-only comparison (n = 87) in a four-site randomized controlled trial in racially and ethnically diverse, under-resourced communities. In our intent-to-treat analysis, caregivers and teachers in BBB rated students' transitions to the new classroom as more positive, relative to the comparison group. Results suggest this low-cost intervention can improve the transition process for families and students at high risk of poor transitions.

BackgroundMost psycho-social interventions contain multiple components. Practitioners often vary in their implementation of different intervention components. Caregiver coaching is a multicomponent intervention for young autistic children that is highly effective but poorly implemented in community-based early intervention (EI). Previous research has shown that EI providers' intentions, and the determinants of their intentions, to implement caregiver coaching vary across components. Organizational culture and climate likely influence these psychological determinants of intention by affecting beliefs that underlie attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy to implement an intervention. Research in this area is limited, which limits the development of theoretically driven, multilevel implementation strategies to support multi-component interventions. This mixed methods study evaluated the relationships among organizational leadership, culture and climate, attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, and EI providers' intentions to implement the components of caregiver coaching.MethodsWe surveyed 264 EI providers from 37 agencies regarding their intentions and determinants of intentions to use caregiver coaching. We also asked questions about the organizational culture, climate, and leadership in their agencies related to caregiver coaching. We used multilevel structural equation models to estimate associations among intentions, psychological determinants of intentions (attitudes, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and self-efficacy), and organizational factors (implementation climate and leadership). We conducted qualitative interviews with 36 providers, stratified by strength of intentions to use coaching. We used mixed-methods analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the organization and individual-level factors.ResultsThe associations among intentions, psychological determinants of intentions, and organizational factors varied across core components of caregiver coaching. Qualitative interviews elucidated how providers describe the importance of each component. For example, providers' attitudes toward coaching caregivers and their perceptions of caregivers' expectations for service were particularly salient themes related to their use of caregiver coaching.ConclusionResults highlight the importance of multi-level strategies that strategically target individual intervention components as well as organization-level and individual-level constructs. This approach holds promise for improving the implementation of complex, multicomponent, psychosocial interventions in community-based service systems.

Clinicians' beliefs about an intervention's fit with an individual family influence whether they use it with that family. The factors that influence clinicians' decisions to implement evidence-based practices for young autistic children have yet to be evaluated systematically. These factors may partially account for the significant disparities in quality of and access to early intervention. We examined disparities in clinicians' reported use of caregiver coaching, an evidence-based practice, with families from minoritized or structurally marginalized groups, and the perceived reasons for those disparities, to assess the factors that influence clinicians' use of caregiver coaching. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 early intervention clinicians from publicly funded early intervention agencies in two distinct geographic regions in the United States. Clinicians identified social and structural factors, including perceived family characteristics and stigma, that influenced their beliefs about the fit of coaching with families from minoritized or structurally marginalized groups. These findings point to the presence of beliefs that likely exacerbate disparities in access to evidence-based practices and reduce the quality of care for minoritized families of young autistic children. These findings highlight the need to develop and deploy equity-focused implementation strategies to improve both access to and quality of evidence-based practices for young autistic children from minoritized groups. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED618068.]

Coaching caregivers of young children on the autism spectrum is a critical component of parent-mediated interventions. Little information is available about how providers implement parent coaching for children on the autism spectrum in publicly funded early intervention systems. This study evaluated providers’ use of parent coaching in an early intervention system. Twenty-five early intervention sessions were coded for fidelity to established caregiver coaching techniques. We found low use of coaching techniques overall, with significant variability in use of coaching across providers. When providers did coach caregivers, they used only a few coaching strategies (e.g., collaboration and in vivo feedback). Results indicate that targeted training and implementation strategies focused on individual coaching components, instead of coaching more broadly, may be needed to improve the use of individual coaching strategies. A focus on strengthening the use of collaboration and in vivo feedback may be key to improving coaching fidelity overall.

BackgroundThere are a growing number of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for autistic individuals, but few are successfully implemented with fidelity in under-resourced communities and with families from traditionally disenfranchised groups. Implementation science offers tools to increase EBI use in communities, but most implementation strategies are designed specific to a single EBI. It is not feasible to develop a new implementation strategy each time a new EBI is introduced in the community. Therefore, to test the effectiveness and generalizability of implementation strategies we are developing and testing a multifaceted implementation strategy with three EBIs concurrently. The goal of this protocol paper is to describe the randomized field trial of an implementation strategy for use across autism EBIs, diverse settings and participants, with the goal of increasing rapid uptake of effective practices to reach our most vulnerable children.MethodsWe developed a multifaceted implementation strategy called Using Novel Implementation Tools for Evidence-based intervention Delivery (UNITED) to facilitate the implementation and sustainment of three EBIs in under-resourced settings. We will compare fidelity to, and effectiveness of, each intervention [Mind the Gap (MTG), Remaking Recess (RR), Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI)] with and without UNITED in a randomized field trial. Randomization will be stratified using a minimization allocation method. We will train community practitioners using remote delivery of modules specific to the intervention, and active coaching via Zoom for at least 6 sessions and up to 12 as dictated by each EBI. Our primary outcome is fidelity to each EBI, and our secondary outcome is at the child or family level (family empowerment for MTG, child peer social engagement for RR, and adolescent self-determination for SDLMI, respectively). We will measure progress through the implementation phases using the Stages of Implementation Completion and cost-effectiveness of UNITED.DiscussionThe results of this study will provide rigorous data on the effectiveness and generalizability of one relatively light-touch implementation strategy in increasing use of autism EBIs and associated outcomes in diverse under resourced public service settings for underrepresented autistic youth.Trial registrationMind the Gap: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:  NCT04972825 (Date registered July 22, 2021); Remaking Recess: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:  NCT04972838 (Date registered July 22, 2021); Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:  NCT04972851 (Date registered July 22, 2021).

Self-regulation is associated with many positive outcomes in children with and without autism, including increased mental health and academic achievement, and decreased problem behavior. Less is known regarding whether and how self-regulation and symptoms of mental health challenges (internalizing and externalizing problems) relate to social outcomes, such as friendship quality and loneliness. Parents and teachers of 106 children with autism aged 5-12 reported on children's self-regulation difficulties and externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Four-to-five months later, children reported on the quality of their friendship with their best friend (companionship, conflict, helpfulness, sense of relationship security, closeness), and their feelings of loneliness. Linear regression was used to examine the effects of self-regulation and symptoms of mental health challenges on friendship quality and loneliness. Less self-regulation difficulties predicted stronger companionship and girls had better quality friendships with their best friend than did boys, in terms of companionship, helpfulness, security and closeness, confirming that they have a protective advantage in friendship development. Autism symptoms, IQ, and age were not associated with friendship quality or loneliness. Results highlight the importance of self-regulation and mental health interventions for school-aged children with autism.

This study examined factors associated with 9-month outcomes of 78 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder ([ASD]; 66 males, mean age = 44.8 [7.0] months) receiving preschool special education services. Use of recommended intervention practices was observed in each student's primary educational setting: autism-only (n = 28), mixed-disability (n = 25), and general early education (n = 25). Recommended practice use across setting types and developmental changes were compared using generalized estimating equations. Autism-only settings had the highest implementation of classroom structure, classroom environment, and curriculum and instruction. General early education had greater implementation of practices to support social and peer relationships. Supporting social and peer relationships was the largest predictor of gains, controlling for setting type; the association was greater for children with lower initial receptive language or developmental skills. These findings highlight the importance of supporting and promoting peer engagement in students with ASD across preschool placement types.

Background: Parent-mediated early interventions (EI) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can result in significant improvements in children's cognitive ability, social functioning, behavior, and adaptive skills, as well as improvements in parental self-efficacy and treatment engagement. The common component to efficacious parent- mediated early interventions for ASD is clinician use of parent coaching and occurs when a clinician actively teaches the parent techniques to improve their child's functioning. Available evidence suggests that community- based EI clinicians rarely coach parents when working with families of these children, although specific barriers to coaching are unknown. This consistent finding points to the need to develop strategies to improve the use of parent coaching in community EI programs. The purpose of this community-partnered study is to iteratively develop and pilot test a toolkit of implementation strategies designed to increase EI clinicians' use of parent coaching. Methods: This study has four related phases. Phase 1: examine how EI clinicians trained in Project ImPACT, an evidence-based parent-mediated intervention, coach parents of children with ASD. Phase 2: identify barriers and facilitators to clinician implementation of parent coaching by administering validated questionnaires to, and conducting semi-structured interviews with, clinicians, parents, and agency leaders. Phase 3: partner with a community advisory board to iteratively develop a toolkit of implementation strategies that addresses identified barriers and capitalizes on facilitators to improve clinician implementation of evidence-based parent coaching. Phase 4: pilot test the feasibility and effectiveness of the implementation strategy toolkit in improving EI clinicians ' use of parent coaching with nine EI clinicians and parent-child dyads using a multiple-baseline-across-participants single-case design. Discussion: Completion of these activities will lead to an in-depth understanding of EI clinicians' implementation of parent coaching in usual practice following training in an evidence-based parent-mediated intervention, barriers to their implementation of parent coaching, a toolkit of implementation strategies developed through an iterative community-partnered process, and preliminary evidence regarding the potential for this toolkit to improve EI clinicians' implementation of parent coaching. These pilot data will offer important direction for a larger evaluation of strategies to improve the use of parent coaching for young children with ASD.

Multi-tiered behavioral classroom interventions are particularly important for students with or at risk for ADHD or other externalizing behaviors. Teachers often use these interventions infrequently or not as designed, and little is known about the barriers and facilitators to their use, especially from the teachers' perspective. Using an exploratory sequential approach, we first used semi-structured qualitative interviews to identify teacher-reported barriers and facilitators to using three Tier 1 and one Tier 2 behavioral classroom interventions with students with ADHD symptoms (Study 1). Then, we identified which barriers and facilitators were most frequently endorsed on a survey (Study 2). The types of barriers and facilitators that emerged from semi-structured interviews included teachers' beliefs about behavioral classroom interventions (i.e., about their effectiveness or the consequences of using them) that motivated teachers or reduced their motivation to use them, as well as factors that interfered or assisted with execution in the moment. The most frequently endorsed barriers were being distracted or forgetting due to competing demands, and feeling "stressed, frustrated, or burned out;" frequently endorsed facilitators included having a strong student-teacher relationship and having built the habit of using the intervention. Together, these results identify specific, malleable factors that can be targeted when supporting teachers in using Tier 1 and Tier 2 behavioral classroom interventions for students with ADHD symptoms.

Autistic individuals who are also people of color or from lower socioeconomic strata are historically underrepresented in research. Lack of representation in autism research has contributed to health and healthcare disparities. Reducing these disparities will require culturally competent research that is relevant to under-resourced communities as well as collecting large nationally representative samples, or samples in which traditionally disenfranchised groups are over-represented. To achieve these goals, a diverse group of culturally competent researchers must partner with and gain the trust of communities to identify and eliminate barriers to participating in research. We suggest community-academic partnerships as one promising approach that results in high-quality research built on cultural competency, respect, and shared decision making.

Purpose of reviewThis synthesis of recent mental health services research with autistic individuals presents significant advances, current gaps, and recommendations for improving mental healthcare for this population.Recent findingsRecent advances include improved understanding of co-occurring mental health conditions among autistic individuals, a growing evidence base for interventions to address them, the development and implementation of new service models to support mental health for this population, and a substantial increase in mental health services and implementation research focused on autism. Ongoing challenges include a lack of mental health interventions designed for community implementation with autistic individuals, limited workforce capacity, complex and disconnected service systems, and racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in accessibility and quality of mental health services. Despite the advances in our understanding of mental health needs and mental health services for autistic individuals, several critical gaps remain. We encourage future efforts to develop and test interventions that can be used in community settings, train and incentivize the workforce to provide them, realign policies and funding with best practice, and embrace an equity-focused approach to autism research and care.

Using the 2008-2013 Medicaid Analytic eXtract files, this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the effect of Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver programs on emergency department (ED) utilizations among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our study showed that the annual ED utilization rates were 13.5% and 18.8% for individuals on autism specific and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) waivers respectively, vs. 28.5% for those without a waiver. Multivariable logistic regression showed that, compared to no waiver, autism specific waivers (adjusted odds ratio: 0.62; 95% Confidence Interval: [0.58-0.66]) and IDD waivers (0.65; [0.64-0.66]) were strongly associated with reduced ED. These findings suggest that HCBS waivers are effective in reducing the incidence of ED visits among youth with ASD.

We conducted a qualitative study using key informant interviews with 18 teachers and 39 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) about how they would envision their ideal interactions with each other. Four main themes emerged from our content analysis. Parents and teachers were concerned about different aspects of communication with each other. Neither party wanted to ask the other for more involvement, and both attributed resistance to a lack of confidence in their expertise. Parents and teachers valued parental presence, but teachers wanted parents to be active partners in the education of their children. The results suggest possible reasons why parents and teachers of children with ASD are often dissatisfied with their interactions. Discussion centers on similarities and differences with general education, as well as on practical solutions to promote more positive exchanges between parents and teachers of children with ASD in school-based contexts.

ObjectivesAfrican American (AA) children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience delays in diagnosis and obstacles to service access, as well as a disproportionate burden of intellectual disability (ID) as documented in surveillance data recently published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our objective in this study was to analyze data from the largest-available repository of diagnostic and phenotypic information on AA children with ASD, and to explore the wide variation in outcome within the cohort as a function of sociodemographic risk and specific obstacles to service access for the purpose of informing a national approach to resolution of these disparities.MethodsParents of 584 AA children with autism consecutively enrolled in the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange across 4 US data collection sites completed event history calendar interviews of the diagnostic odysseys for their children with ASD. These data were examined in relation to developmental outcomes of the children with autism and their unaffected siblings.ResultsThe average age of ASD diagnosis was 64.9 months (±49.6), on average 42.3 months (±45.1) after parents' first concerns about their children's development. The relationship between timing of diagnosis and ASD severity was complex, and ID comorbidity was not predicted in a straightforward manner by familial factors associated with cognitive variation in the general population.ConclusionsThese findings document significant opportunity to expedite diagnosis, the need to further understand causes of ID comorbidity, and the necessity to identify effective approaches to the resolution of disparities in severity-of-outcome for AA children with autism.

States in the United States differ in how they determine special education eligibility for autism services. Few states include an autism-specific diagnostic tool in their evaluation. In research, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS for first edition, ADOS-2 for second edition) is considered the gold-standard autism assessment. The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of children with an educational classification of autism who exceed the ADOS/ADOS-2 threshold for autism spectrum (concordance rate). Data were drawn from 4 school-based studies across 2 sites (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and San Diego, California). Participants comprised 627 children (2-12 years of age; 83% male) with an autism educational classification. Analyses included (a) calculating the concordance rate between educational and ADOS/ADOS-2 classifications and (b) estimating the associations between concordance and child's cognitive ability, study site, and ADOS/ADOS-2 administration year using logistic regression. More San Diego participants (97.5%, all assessed with the ADOS-2) met ADOS/ADOS-2 classification than did Philadelphia participants assessed with the ADOS-2 (92.2%) or ADOS (82.9%). Children assessed more recently were assessed with the ADOS-2; this group was more likely to meet ADOS/ADOS-2 classification than the group assessed longer ago with the ADOS. Children with higher IQ were less likely to meet ADOS/ADOS-2 classification. Most children with an educational classification of autism meet ADOS/ADOS-2 criteria, but results differ by site and by ADOS version and/or recency of assessment. Educational classification may be a reasonable but imperfect measure to include children in community-based trials.

Lay abstractMost autistic adults struggle with mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. However, they often have trouble finding effective mental health treatment in their community. The goal of this study was to identify ways to improve community mental health services for autistic adults. We interviewed 22 autistic adults with mental healthcare experience, 44 community mental health clinicians (outpatient therapists, case managers, and intake coordinators), and 11 community mental health agency leaders in the United States. Our participants identified a variety of barriers to providing quality mental healthcare to autistic adults. Across all three groups, most of the reported barriers involved clinicians' limited knowledge, lack of experience, poor competence, and low confidence working with autistic adults. All three groups also discussed the disconnect between the community mental health and developmental disabilities systems and the need to improve communication between these two systems. Further efforts are needed to train clinicians and provide follow-up consultation to work more effectively with autistic adults. A common suggestion from all three groups was to include autistic adults in creating and delivering the clinician training. The autistic participants provided concrete recommendations for clinicians, such as consider sensory issues, slow the pace, incorporate special interests, use direct language, and set clear expectations. Our findings also highlight a need for community education about co-occurring psychiatric conditions with autism and available treatments, in order to increase awareness about treatment options.

BackgroundThere is a critical need for effective implementation of integrated healthcare systems for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD have many service needs, including the need to access effective mental healthcare, given high rates of co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Pediatric primary care is an ongoing point of healthcare that is well positioned to identify mental health concerns and facilitate linkage to mental health services for children with ASD. However, identifying mental health problems in children with ASD by primary care providers is complex, subject to being overlooked and may significantly vary based on primary care organizational characteristics. Efforts targeting integrated primary-mental healthcare implementation require a tailored approach for children with ASD.MethodsThis mixed methods, community-partnered study will apply the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework (Aarons et al., 2011; Moullin et al., in press) to adapt and implement an integrated care model, "Access to Tailored Autism INtegrated Care" (ATTAIN), in pediatric practices within three diverse healthcare settings for children ages 4-18 years. Key inner context factors from the Exploration, Preparation, and Implementation phases of the EPIS framework will guide three objectives of this study: (1) to identify targets to improve mental health screening and linkage to mental health services in primary care for children with ASD, (2) to adapt integrated care procedures to facilitate identification of mental health problems and linkage to evidence-based care for children with ASD, and (3) to examine feasibility, acceptability, and uptake of the adapted integrated mental healthcare model through a pilot study in pediatric primary care.DiscussionImproving integrated mental healthcare for children with ASD could have a significant public health impact on mental healthcare access, child clinical outcomes, and reduction in healthcare costs. Results from this mixed methods study will inform selection of implementation strategies to conduct larger-scale implementation of tailored integrated mental healthcare for children with ASD that will ultimately help to address the high unmet mental health needs for these children.

Racial and ethnic disparities in the use of nine common autism-related services among Medicaid-enrolled children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were examined, distinguishing between school and other community-based outpatient settings. Using 2012 Medicaid Analytic Extract data, we identified 117,848 continuously enrolled children with ASD. Several racial and ethnic disparities were found, varying by geography. Black, Asian, and Native American/Pacific Islanders received fewer outpatient services compared with white children, but there was no disparity for Latinx children. Black and Asian children received more school-based services than white children. Disparities in case management/care coordination services were largest and present in each minority group. Geographic variation in receipt of services suggests targets for policy intervention to improve access for minorities with ASD.

This study examined variation in geographic access to Board Certified Behavior Analysts for children with autism spectrum disorder. Between March and May 2019, we integrated public data from the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection, Behavior Analyst Certification Board's certificant registry, and U.S. Census. The study sample included all U.S. counties and county equivalents in 48 states and D.C. (N = 3108). Using geographic information systems software, we assigned Board Certified Behavior Analysts to counties based on their residence, allocated children via school districts to counties, and generated per capita autism spectrum disorder/Board Certified Behavior Analyst ratios. We calculated the Getis-Ord G* statistics for each county and each ratio and compared counties in high-ratio clusters with counties in low-ratio clusters by socioeconomic variables. More than half of all counties had no Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Counties in the highest accessibility category had [less than or equal to]17.1 children with autism spectrum disorder per Board Certified Behavior Analyst (n = 770), while counties in the lowest accessibility category had [greater than or equal to]137.1 children with autism spectrum disorder per Board Certified Behavior Analyst (n = 12). In all, 55 of the 129 counties with the highest autism spectrum disorder prevalence had no Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Higher accessibility counties were wealthier and had smaller uninsured populations. To improve geographic access, we must identify factors driving unequal distribution that can inform provider recruitment and retention efforts in underserved areas.

BackgroundResearch trials of early intervention (EI) programs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) generally demonstrate medium-to-large gains, on average, compared with "treatment as usual," in different developmental domains. Almost all children with ASD receive their treatment through community-based services, however, and studies suggest that evidence-based interventions rarely make their way into community practice. Understanding the effectiveness of community-based EI and factors associated with these effects is the first step in developing strategies for wide-scale implementation of effective EI.MethodsStudies of community-based EI for children with ASD were identified through a systematic search. Changes in cognitive, communication, social, and adaptive functioning from pre-treatment to post-treatment were assessed using standardized mean gain scores. Effect sizes were estimated using random effects models. Moderators of interest included type of community EI program, year of publication, intervention duration, and sample selection. Moderator effects were assessed using analysis of variance of mixed-effects models and meta-regression analyses.ResultsForty-six groups from 33 studies met inclusion criteria (1,713 participants, mean age 37.4 months, 81.1% male). There were small but statistically significant gains in each of the four domains. Hedges's g ranged from 0.21 for adaptive behavior to 0.32 for communication outcomes, after removing outliers and correcting for publication bias. EI programs associated with universities and hospitals were superior, on average, to other community EI programs for cognitive and adaptive behavior outcomes. Intervention duration was negatively associated with effect sizes for communication and adaptive behavior outcomes.ConclusionsThese results indicate that there remains a large gap between outcomes observed in community settings and those reported in efficacy trials.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve anxiety and depression in autistic adults, but few autistic adults receive this treatment. We examined factors that may influence clinicians' use of CBT with autistic adults. One hundred clinicians completed an online survey. Clinicians reported stronger intentions (p = .001), more favorable attitudes (p

Implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the education system is a public health priority. Leadership is a critical driver of EBP implementation but little is known about the types of leadership behaviors exhibited by school leaders and how this influences the context of EBP implementation, particularly for students with ASD. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the leadership profiles of principals involved in EBP implementation for students with ASD and (2) how these leadership profiles related to school characteristics and implementation climate. The Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework was used to guide the design and analysis of this study. Participants (n = 296) included principals, teachers, and classroom support staff. They provided demographic information and completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Implementation Climate Scale. Using latent profile analysis, a three-pattern solution was identified: Disengaged (6% of sample), Undifferentiated (23% of sample), and Optimal (71% of sample). Principals in schools with higher proportions of students with an individualized education program were more likely to be classified as Undifferentiated than Optimal. The Optimal group was associated with more positive implementation climate than the Undifferentiated or Disengaged groups. Findings suggest that leadership behaviors rated by principals and their staff involved in implementation of common autism EBPs can be meaningfully clustered into three discernible profiles that are shaped by organizational context and linked to strategic implementation climate. Our study findings have implications for leadership training and service delivery in schools by underscoring the critical nature of school leadership during implementation of EBPs for children with autism and the interplay between specific leadership behaviors and strategic implementation climate.

BackgroundChildren with autism receive most of their intervention services in public schools, but implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autism varies. Studies suggest that individual (attitudes) and organizational characteristics (implementation leadership and climate) may influence providers' use of EBPs, but research is relatively limited in this area. This study examined individual and organizational factors associated with implementation of three EBPs-discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and visual schedules-for children with autism in special education classrooms in public elementary schools.MethodsParticipants included 67 autism support teachers and 85 other classroom staff from 52 public elementary schools in the northeastern United States. Participants reported their attitudes toward EBPs (e.g., intuitive appeal, willingness if required, openness, and divergence), implementation leadership and climate of their school, and the frequency with which they deliver each of three EBPs. Linear regression was used to estimate the association of attitudes about EBPs with organizational characteristics and intensity of EBP use. Demographic covariates with a bivariate association with EBP use significant at p

OBJECTIVE:An organization's implementation climate, or the extent to which use of an intervention is expected, supported, and rewarded by colleagues and supervisors, has been identified as critical to successful intervention implementation and outcomes. The effect of implementation climate has not been well studied in special education settings. The present study examines the association between teachers' perceptions of implementation climate, teacher fidelity to a school-based program for students with autism, and student outcomes (measured as changes in IQ) over time. METHOD:Participants included 158 students from 45 classrooms and their teachers. Teachers provided a measure of implementation climate at the beginning of the academic year; program fidelity was measured monthly throughout the year. The main and interaction effects of perceived implementation climate and fidelity on student outcomes were examined using longitudinal nested linear models with random effects for classroom and student, controlling for important covariates. RESULTS:On average, IQ scores improved 2.2 points (SD = 8.7). There were no main effects of perceived implementation climate or fidelity on student outcomes; however, the interaction between perceived implementation climate and fidelity was associated with student outcomes (p < .05, d = 0.54). Among classrooms with a strong perceived implementation climate, higher fidelity was associated with better student outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:While preliminary and requiring replication, these findings suggest that perceived implementation climate and program fidelity each may be important but not sufficient for optimizing outcomes for students with autism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Transitioning to a new school is often challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the transition needs of students with autism spectrum disorder or the benefits of specific supports. This review synthesizes research findings on the difficulties that school transitions pose for students with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and teachers, and the strategies used to support students and parents during school transition. The review included 27 studies (10 examining the transition to primary school, 17 the transition to secondary school), with data from 443 students with autism spectrum disorder, 453 parents, and 546 teachers, across four continents (North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia). Studies reported that children with autism spectrum disorder struggled with anxiety and increased social pressure, their parents felt overwhelmed with complex placement decisions and worried about the well-being of their children, and teachers strove to provide appropriate supports to their students with autism spectrum disorder, often with inadequate resources. Findings indicated that the most useful strategies involved helping the student adjust to the new school setting, individualizing transition supports, clarifying the transition process for parents, and fostering communication both between the sending and receiving schools, and school and home.

Partners in School: is a consultation model with the goal of enhancing communication between two of the most important stakeholders in children's lives -- parents and teachers. Using a single-group pre-post design, this preliminary study examined the effect of "Partners in School" on parent-teacher communication outcomes and the factors associated with these outcomes. Participants were 26 teachers and 49 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents and teachers completed surveys before and after participating in "Partners in School." Teachers reported an increase in their communication to parents. However, parents did not report an increase in their communication to teachers. Teachers' self-efficacy, expectations, and intervention fidelity were associated with increased communication to parents. Parental self-efficacy and teacher experience were associated with parents' reports of communication to teachers. Our findings suggest that family-school consultation services may be used to enhance teachers' communication with parents.

Few studies use a strengths-based perspective to identify strategies that support K-12 school transitions for historically minoritized families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the present study, university researchers partnered with community stakeholders (e.g., disability advocates, community health organizations, etc.) in minoritized communities to examine the school transitions of children with ASD. We sought the experiential knowledge of racially, linguistically, economically, and geographically minoritized parents in the United States (n = 45) and the providers servicing these communities (n = 75) using dialogue groups and individual interviews about school transitions for children and adolescents with ASD. Applying a framework of community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), we identified the transition practices these families describe as supportive, and the types of community capital families engaged during the transition process. Supportive transition strategies included school tours and visits, meetings and workshops, transition tools, and skills development. Social and support networks in school and community also bolstered transition success. Implications for school practice include developing formal structures for information sharing across the transition and developing partnerships with community-based organizations that already serve these communities.