No abstract

The purpose of this review was to identify naturalistic language interventions for increasing spontaneous expressive language (defined in this review as absence of verbal prompt or other verbalization from adults or peers) in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Also, the methodological rigor and effectiveness of each study were evaluated to determine which interventions confidently led to increases in the target behavior. A total of 24 studies that included 45 participants, 2 to 9 years of age, used a naturalistic language intervention. When using What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) guidelines to evaluate design standards, 50% of studies had adequate rigor and 33% of those studies demonstrated positive effects in the target behavior. In addition, the components of each intervention were coded and grouped by function. Implications for teachers, practitioners, and researchers are provided.

As youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to experience anxiety than youth in the general population, investigation of associated factors is important for diagnosis and treatment. The present study extended prior research by examining factors associated with caregiver-reported anxiety in 2662 youth (mean age = 8.82 years) with ASD. Logistic regression analyses indicated increases in age, social problems, and cognitive functioning predicted high anxiety group membership. Cognitive functioning moderated the relation of adaptive social behaviors and anxiety. Results from the present study provide support for previously identified factors associated with anxiety; however, further investigation is necessary to uncover additional factors and to explore their relation to anxiety across individuals with ASD with varying levels of cognitive functioning.

Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate delays in expressive communication, impacting their ability to independently function in typical environments. Individuals with ASD who develop expressive language during early childhood experience better outcomes later in life; therefore, examination of naturalistic language interventions (NLIs) remain an important area of investigation. The current study used a multiple probe design across participants to examine the effects of a classroom-based NLI on various expressive language targets in three preschool-aged children demonstrating characteristics of ASD. Findings suggest the intervention had positive and maintained effects on trial-based use of language targets, as well as concomitant changes in commenting, requesting, and phrase complexity. Implications regarding implementation of NLIs within typical classroom play activities are discussed.

This article examined the reporting of four elements of fidelity of implementation (FOI) in parent-mediated early communication treatment studies. Thirty-five studies were reviewed to extract information regarding reporting of dosage, adherence, quality, and participant responsiveness for both practitioners and parents involved in parent-delivered communication treatment for children birth to 6 years of age. Results indicate relatively low reporting practices across the four elements of FOI for both practitioners and parents. Most studies (71%) reported dosage at the practitioner level (e.g., number and length of parent-training sessions), while few studies (14%) reported dosage at the parent level (i.e., amount of intervention implemented by parents outside of treatment sessions). Results also found 60% of studies reported adherence for parent implementation, but only 34% of studies reported adherence for practitioners. Implications for low reporting in the research literature, as well as recommendations for future reporting and research on FOI, are provided.