Abstract
Recent studies suggest that preschool teachers can improve core autism deficits. Implementation fidelity, however, has not been a focus. This study examined the ability of sixteen preschool teachers to implement strategies of a manualized communication intervention targeting the core deficit of joint attention. Before treatment, teachers in both groups used few strategies, but they demonstrated more intervention strategies during individual child and teacher play interactions than in their classrooms. After treatment, teachers in the immediate treatment group used significantly more strategies than the control group with notable differences in their use of strategies in their classrooms. Results also suggest that some strategies may be easier than others for teachers to adopt.
Highlights
The earlier that evidence based treatments are implemented with children who have autism the better their long-term developmental outcomes [1]
This study investigated the ability of preschool teachers to implement strategies associated with a packaged social/communication intervention (JASP/ER) during regular classroom activities
This study investigated the ability of preschool teachers to implement 11 strategies of the packaged JASP/ER intervention
Summary
The earlier that evidence based treatments are implemented with children who have autism the better their long-term developmental outcomes [1]. Initiating Joint Attention (IJA) refers to the way young children use nonverbal gestures such as pointing to share meaning about an idea or object with a social partner, whereas Responding to Joint Attention (RJA) refers to a child acknowledging another’s gestures to convey interest [3]. Both responding to and initiating joint attention skills have been associated with later language outcomes in children with autism [4]. IJA skills in children with autism can improve with intervention [6] and these IJA gains can improve long-term language outcomes [7,8]
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