Abstract
Autism researchers have identified a set of common effective practice elements for early intervention (EI) (e.g., intensive programming). The current study examined the reported use of common elements of effective interventions in community EI settings. Eighty EI providers reported about their programs. The majority of participants reported using common effective elements, however, the depth and quality of the use of these elements was highly variable. Taking community program structure into account in future research will facilitate the development of methodologies, which immediately fit into the context of community programming rather than requiring program adaptation for use in the real world. Recommendations for using current community program structure to improve use of evidence-based practices are discussed.
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Notes
Based on July 1, 2004 estimated population by US Census Bureau.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by a Child and Adolescent Services Research Grant number K01 MH65325–01 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The author would like to thank Nicole Collings, Dorothy Borszack-Vega, and Rachel Enkey for their assistance with the interview development, interview implementation, and data entry and analyses; Laura Schreibman, Mark Appelbaum, Andrew Bondy, Michelle Sullivan, the students and UCSD Autism Laboratory, the staff at Children’s Toddler School for assistance with question development, modification, and piloting the interview; and the journal editors for their insightful suggestions. Finally, the author thanks the service providers for taking time out of their busy schedules to provide valuable insight and information to the field through participation in this research.
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Stahmer, A.C. The Basic Structure of Community Early Intervention Programs for Children with Autism: Provider Descriptions. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 1344–1354 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0284-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0284-x