More than a decade has passed since the National Research Council described the common elements of effective educational programs for young children with autism. Since that time, few studies have attempted to understand the mechanisms of change and factors affecting the effectiveness of research supported interventions implemented in community…

This study assessed the integrity with which social skills interventions were implemented in 16 early childhood special education classrooms. Positive correlations between intervention integrity and both overall amount of intervention provided and child outcomes were found. Teacher ratings of intervention acceptability were weak predictors of…

This commentary on a previous article (Odom 1999) that investigated 16 inclusive programs in 4 regional U.S. locations notes the omission of environments other than classrooms in the study, such as home settings and family day care settings. The absence of specific characteristics of the programs described is also criticized. (Contains seven…

This commentary on a previous article (Odom 1999) that investigated 16 inclusive programs in 4 regional U.S. locations notes the omission of information about the quality of services, providers' perspectives, the extent to which what practitioners say corresponds with classroom practice, and range of special services delivered. (CR)

A range of qualitative and quantitative methods were used to create case studies and summaries of 16 inclusive programs in 4 regional U.S. locations. The individualized service model that programs followed were itinerant-direct service, itinerant-collaborative consultative, team teaching, early childhood, early childhood special education, and…