Implementation of naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention in inclusive preschool: a case study on the group-based Early Start Denver Model teacher professional development

Abstract

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) are evidence-based approaches for children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); they integrate applied behavior analysy and developmental sciences (Schreibman et al., 2015). NDBIs are well suited for inclusive early childhood education classrooms because they are designed for use in natural settings to teach developmentally appropriate skills with behavioral strategies (Schreibman et al., 2015). Although NDBI approaches are recommended for use in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and are considered evidencebased, several factors impact the implementation of NDBIs in inclusive classrooms. Professional development is one of the key elements to assure those competent teachers can implement NDBI for children with autism in a regular classroom. In the past decade, great emphasis has been given to implementation science as a field of research that can promote the adoption of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) in Special Education. Comprehensive implementation frameworks and multilevel strategies are needed to sustain EBPs implementation and address a series of variables that might affect the success of the program in a school context (Cook & Odom, 2013). However, little is known about the processes to implement these practices within an inclusive framework. The purpose of our mixed-methods concurrent study is twofold: 1) to document the application of the Active Implementation Frameworks (AIFs) strategies in the ECE system for teachers’ professional development; 2) to provide data about the application of AIFs in promoting NDBIs implementation in inclusive early education classrooms... [edited by Author]