Implementation Planning to Promote Parents' Treatment Integrity of Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism

Abstract

Behavioral interventions delivered across home and school settings can promote positive outcomes for youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Yet, stakeholders who deliver these interventions may struggle to implement interventions as intended. Low levels of treatment integrity can undermine potentially positive intervention outcomes. One way to promote implementers' treatment integrity is Implementation Planning, a logistical planning and barrier reduction strategy that is supported by emerging school-based research. The current study extended the research on Implementation Planning and evaluated the effectiveness of the strategy with parents implementing a behavioral intervention at home within a Conjoint Behavioral Consultation model. The behavioral intervention aimed to increase compliance and decrease aggression for two children with ASD at home. Initially, parents struggled to deliver the intervention consistently; however, after Implementation Planning, parents' treatment integrity increased and, subsequently, child outcomes improved. Implications for future research and consultation are presented.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lindsay M. Fallon

Lindsay M. Fallon, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. She received her PhD in school psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2013 and has worked as a behavioral consultant in Massachusetts. She is interested in research and consultation with school staff, families and community members to implement evidence-based practices with high levels of treatment integrity. She is also interested in promoting positive behavioral outcomes for children with disabilities and children who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Melissa A. Collier-Meek

Melissa A. Collier-Meek, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Her research interests include treatment integrity assessment and implementation support in schools, homes, and community settings. She received her PhD in school psychology in 2013 from the University of Connecticut and has worked to support teachers, families, and teams implement evidence-based practices in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Lisa M. H. Sanetti

Lisa M. H. Sanetti, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. She has authored over 50 refereed articles, book chapters, and books. Her primary areas of research interest involve implementation science and school-based mental health. Prior to joining the faculty at University of Connecticut, she was a behavioral consultant and provided assessment and intervention services to children with significant disabilities and/or mental health issues and their families and educators.

Adam B. Feinberg

Adam B. Feinberg, PhD, is a clinical professor at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. He is both a licensed psychologist, as well as a board certified behavior analyst with over 15 years of experience in behavioral health supporting children with disabilities in both schools and community settings. He received his PhD in school psychology from Lehigh University in 2003. Areas of expertise and research interests include system level change relative to positive behavior intervention & supports (PBIS), and response to intervention in academic areas.

Thomas R. Kratochwill

Thomas R. Kratochwill, PhD, is the Sears Roebuck Foundation-Bascom Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Director of the School Psychology Program, and a licensed psychologist in Wisconsin. He is the author of over 200 journal articles and book chapters. He has written or edited over 30 books and has made over 300 professional presentations. His research interests include problem solving consultation, transportability of evidence-based interventions to practice, children's anxiety disorders, and single-case research design and data analysis.

Note: The authors report that to the best of their knowledge neither they nor their affiliated institutions have financial or personal relationships or affiliations that could influence or bias the opinions, decisions, or work presented in this manuscript.