TEACHING CAREGIVERS TO IMPLEMENT NATURALISTIC STRATEGIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Abstract

The benefit of early intervention (EI) for children with disabilities, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is well established. Among the most common and influential recommended practices of EI are 1) to utilize the family-centered approach and 2) to provide EI in inclusive settings and natural environments. Training caregivers to use naturalistic strategies with their children can be one important aspect of the family-centered approach and can increase the likelihood for young children to receive EI within natural environments. The current study aimed to examine the impact of training and coaching on the caregivers’ implementation of naturalistic intervention strategies with their children with ASD using a single case experimental multiple probe design. Three caregivers and their children with ASD in Saudi Arabia participated in the current study. The caregivers received a training session followed by 1:1 coaching sessions on naturalistic strategies. All training and coaching sessions were delivered via videoconferencing. Results indicated a functional relation between training with subsequent coaching and the caregivers’ use of the naturalistic strategies. Results also showed improvement in the children’s social communication, including their verbal spontaneous and/or prompted requests and their total number of words per utterance after caregiver training and coaching. In addition, the caregivers reported overall positive perceptions toward the study’s goal, procedures, and outcomes. A discussion of the study’s key findings, limitations, future research, and practical implications is provided.