Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions are an empirically supported intervention approach for young autistic children. Despite the prevalence of disruptive behaviors among autistic children, most manualized caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions include limited formal guidance on when and how to manage…

The current study adds to a growing body of behavioral research aimed at learning about changes in behavior over time. In this proof-of-concept study, functional analyses were conducted every 6-8 weeks with eight children diagnosed with ASD receiving early intervention services at a community-based clinic. The goal of this study was to develop a…

Despite showing effects in well-controlled studies, the extent to which early intensive behavioral intervention (EBI) produces positive changes in community-based settings remains uncertain. Thus, our study examined changes in autistic symptoms and adaptive functioning in 233 children with autism receiving EBI in a community setting. The results…

The school-age outcomes of autistic children who received early interventions (EI) remains limited. Adaptive functioning, social, peer play skills, problem behaviours, and attitudes towards school of 31 autistic children who received community-based group early start Denver model (G-ESDM) were compared to 28 age matched autistic children who…

This study is a secondary data analysis that extends knowledge about the effects of the early childhood Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention to trajectories of general psychopathology problems (p factor) across early and middle childhood, and effects on adolescent psychopathology and polydrug use. The Early Steps Multisite study (ClinicalTrials.gov…

This online survey study examined early intervention providers' knowledge and training needs surrounding evidence-based practices for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers analyzed data from 87 early intervention providers (speech-language pathologists and developmental specialists) in a rural Southwestern U.S. state. The survey included…

This research brief draws on data from the 2021-2022 Study of Family and Staff Well-Being in Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Programs (the 2021-2022 Study) to investigate associations between the well-being of Head Start children and families and factors related to the pandemic. Based on data collected from October 2021 to January…

The purpose of this study is to examine the bidirectional relationship between children's language development and challenging behaviors as well as the moderating roles of gender and race/ethnicity. We conducted a number of structural equation modeling analyses with a national representative sample (N = 2,462) of Head Start children from the 2014…

Children with intellectual disability and behavioural needs (challenging behaviour) are vulnerable to exclusion from services and communities. The situation is exacerbated by difficulties in accessing appropriate support and services to effectively meet the needs of children and carers. Family perspectives on the 'lived experience' of children can…

Using the nationally representative Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2014 (FACES 2014), this study examined the associations of Head Start children's behavioral challenges with teachers' well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms, job commitment) and intent to leave, controlling for teacher characteristics. We sought to explore the direct…

Leading research argues the distinct importance of earliest detection of childhood behavior problems and the value of discovering subsequent change patterns as children transition through the early education years. This study examined the relative contributions of earliest assessments of children's problem behaviors as compared to the changes in…

Research Findings: Head Start teachers completed brief rating scales measuring the social-emotional competence and approaches to learning of preschool children (total N = 164; 14% Hispanic American, 30% African American, 56% Caucasian; 56% girls). Head Start lead and assistant teacher ratings on both scales demonstrated strong internal consistency…

Whether and to what extent kindergarten children's executive functions (EF) constitute promising targets of early intervention is currently unclear. This study examined whether kindergarten children's EF predicted their second-grade academic achievement and behavior. This was done using (a) a longitudinal and nationally representative sample (N =…

As the prevalence of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise, the need for high quality parent coaching practices to ensure generalization of skills targeting in early intervention services is pronounced. This mixed methods study investigated the results of implementation of a parent coaching treatment package developed in alignment with…

Early intervention comes in-between the lives of children, families and teachers. This article uses part of a report written by an educational psychologist about a little girl to question the nature of intervention through Rancière's writings. As children and parents are seen as put into the position of inadequacy, they require such…