The basic structure of community early intervention programs for children with autism: provider descriptions

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research has identified effective practice elements for early intervention (EI).
• Community-based EI settings are crucial for delivering services to children with ASD.
• Understanding the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in real-world settings is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reported use of common effective practice elements in community-based early intervention settings for autism.
• To assess the variability in the depth and quality of implementation of these elements.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 80 early intervention (EI) providers in community settings.
• Data collection on the reported use of common effective intervention elements.
• Analysis of the depth and quality of element implementation.

Main Results:

• The majority of EI providers reported using common effective elements.
• Significant variability was observed in the depth and quality of element utilization.
• Community program structures appear to influence the implementation fidelity.

Conclusions:

• While common effective elements are used, their inconsistent application in community EI settings may impact outcomes.
• Future research should integrate community program structures to develop more adaptable EI methodologies.
• Adapting interventions to fit existing community program structures is essential for improving the use of EBPs.