Overview

The objectives of the current project are to develop and implement training with community providers to evaluate a supplemental parent coaching intervention delivered via telehealth to improve child communication and behavioral outcomes, parental stress outcomes, and to investigate telehealth models to reach children in geographically dispersed or highly mobile locations and/or from military connected families.

Eligibility

Provider Inclusion Criteria:

• Providers to participate who are in "lead" or supervising roles (e.g., clinical supervisors, lead therapists, level II/level I EIDBI providers),
• Participating providers are encouraged to have a master's degree or higher, be level I, or serve as a level II provider with established experience (e.g.,supporting families who speak another language or be certified by a tribal government) however, this decision is up to the participating organization

Child/Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:

• Child between ages 1 to 5
• Waiting for either ASD diagnosis or intervention,
• At least one caregiver (approved by the parent) willing to participate
• Ability to complete approximately three, 30 min sessions over 12 weeks and to complete pre and post study measures
• Child may not be currently receiving intensive (10 or more hours a week) or early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), but may be on a waitlist for these services, and can be enrolled in Early Childhood Special Education services Parts B and C, and auxiliary services such as speech, physical, and occupational therapy.

Child/Caregiver Exclusion Criteria:

• Children will be assessed through an eligibility screener to determine if they have challenging behavior that may be dangerous. Families will be assessed to determine eligibility through a screener, several of the questions will be aimed to identify challenging behavior severity, behaviors including topographies such as eye gouging and other forms of severe self-injury or aggression that cause significant or dangerous tissue damage (e.g., such as breaking the skin, drawing blood, open wounds that could be infected, or leaves a contusion, visits to an emergency room or hospitalization due to challenging behavior) to a child or others may be considered too severe to participate in the study.
• Families will also be asked if a participating caregiver is pregnant, if they indicate yes, they will still be eligible to participate with their child, but certain activities may be skipped if the child engages in challenging behavior, such as aggressive behavior.