Partnering with Early Intervention Providers to Increase Implementation of Parent Coaching for Families of Children with ASD

The research plan will address four specific aims: (1) examine EI providers' current use of coaching when working with parents of young children with ASD; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to using parent coaching in Part C service systems; (3) partner with community stakeholders (EI agency leaders, providers, and parents) to develop a toolkit of implementation strategies to improve the use of parent coaching by EI providers; and (4) pilot test the feasibility, promise, and acceptability of the implementation toolkit with dyads of EI providers and parents of children with or at risk for ASD. The aims will be addressed through four corresponding phases. In Phase 1, the PI will conduct observations of intervention sessions to examine how EI providers coach parents of children with ASD. During Phase 2, the PI will use semi-structured interviews and validated questionnaires with EI providers, parents, and agency leaders identify barriers and facilitators to provider implementation of parent coaching. In Phase 3, the PI will partner with a community advisory board to iteratively develop a toolkit of implementation strategies that addresses identified barriers and supports to improve EI provider implementation of parent coaching. Finally, in Phase 4, the PI will pilot test the implementation strategy toolkit using a multiple-baseline single-case design to determine its feasibility and promise for improving EI providers' use of parent coaching, parents' use of the strategies taught in Project IMPACT, and children's communication outcomes. Observational data will be analyzed using a validated coding system. Interview data will be coded and mixed methods will be used to integrate findings with those from quantitative measures and observations. Visual analysis and effect size calculations will be used to analyze data from the pilot study.