Explore the vast range of titles available.

Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs) support early childhood educators, administrators, and professionals in developing and implementing early learning experiences to support young children’s knowledge and skill development. Previous reviews of ELGs examined content addressed across states. However, no reviews have focused on science, technology, or engineering, which are becoming increasingly prevalent as target areas for all learners in the United States. The current review examined the extent (or count) to which science, technology, and engineering content are identified and included within ELGs and the content and processes included in the indicators. The results indicated most ELGs included specified science domains, with far fewer specified domains for technology or engineering. However, all ELGs addressed content at the indicator level for science, technology, and engineering. Individual indicators focused on earth and life science, physics, building and creating, and sequencing. Explicitly identifying content as science, engineering, and technology and expanding on the content to include additional topics (such as planning, designing, simple machines, and foundational computational thinking) could empower early educators to address these topics. To ensure indicators clearly articulate inclusive learning for science, technology, and engineering, additional evaluation of the content of indicators is needed.

Comprehensive reviews of the research literature have identified that focused intervention practices for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder have evidence of producing positive developmental and learning outcomes. The Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM) project has translated evidence-based practices identified by Wong et al. (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 45(7):1951–1966, 2015) into online learning modules. The purpose of this paper is to describe (1) the process for translating the research literature into practical information that practitioners can use, (2) its dissemination through a freely accessible website, (3) the use of the modules by over 64,500 users located in the United States and abroad, (4) knowledge gained as a result of completing the modules, and (5) consumers’ evaluations of modules usefulness and relevance.

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a comprehensive program model originally developed by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC). Sixty elementary schools with 486 participants were randomly assigned to an NPDC and services as usual condition (SAU). Significantly greater changes in program quality occurred in the inclusive NPDC programs as compared with the SAU schools. Teachers in NPDC schools reported using more evidence-based practices (EBPs) and implemented EBPs with significantly greater fidelity than teachers in SAU schools. Autistic students in NPDC schools had significantly higher total attainment of educational goals than students in SAU schools, and the two groups made equivalent progress on standardized assessment outcomes across the school year.

Commemorating the 40 th anniversary of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) III, the purpose of this commentary is to describe school-based and school-relevant interventions and instructional approaches for children and youth with autism that have been developed and employed during that time period. The commentary begins with a brief description of foundational research that provides an historical context. Research themes shaped by science, ethics, social policy, and the changes in the DSM provide an organization for describing the evolution of intervention and instructional practices over the four previous decades. The commentary concludes with a discussion of school-contextual variables that influence implementation and the promise of the “iSciences” for closing the research to practice gap in the future.

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of educational programs for school-aged children with autism in the United States. Investigators completed the Autism Program Environment Quality Rating Systems-Preschool/Elementary (APERS-PE) in 60 elementary schools enrolling children with autism. The mean total rating scores were near the midpoint rating, indicating schools were providing educational program environments classified as adequate but not of high quality. Domains of the APERS-PE reflecting structural quality tended to be significantly above average and domains reflecting process quality tended to be significantly below average. With a few exceptions, inclusive and special education program did not differ significantly in total program quality ratings and reflected the same pattern of domain quality ratings.

Measurement of social-pragmatic communication skills is essential for clinicians and researchers working with school-aged children on the autism spectrum. Many measures of these skills require time-intensive training and coding that is impractical for clinical assessment settings. Using a sample of 299 elementary school children (M = 8.6 years, sd = 1.7) with autism whose teachers completed the Children’s Communication Checklist-2, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the CCC-2, a commonly used measure of social-pragmatic skills in order to assist researchers and clinicians in identifying the utility of this measure related to their assessment needs. Our results indicate strong psychometric properties for the CCC-2 with this population and a 3-factor model fit: Structural Language, Pragmatic Communication, and Pragmatic Social. Evidence of racial/ethnic bias was found for the structural language factor. Clinical recommendations are provided for using the CCC-2 with students with autism as reported by teachers.

The increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its detection during the first 3 years of life have substantial relevance for early intervention. The purpose of this article is to summarize current scientific and policy information on early identification and early intervention for infants and toddlers with ASD and their families. Following a brief overview that provides basic information about ASD, the authors discuss early warning signs of the disorder and available screening and diagnostic tools. Finally, they highlight focused intervention practices and comprehensive treatment models appropriate for infants and toddlers with ASD, as well as issues affecting the delivery of effective early intervention services to children and families.

Few psychometrically valid scales exist to assess family outcomes and the helpfulness of early intervention. This article describes the development and psychometric properties of the Family Outcomes Survey—Revised. The revision was prompted by the need to (a) create a new format that would be easier for parents to understand, (b) revise and expand the survey items to provide more information for states to use in planning for program improvement, and (c) demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties. Input from stakeholders and experts was used to identify concepts and develop candidate items. Data from a web-based survey conducted with 265 families in Illinois and Texas were used to assess the psychometric properties of candidate items. These activities produced a revised survey with sound psychometric integrity that can be used to document family outcomes and identify areas for program improvement.

Impairment in social interaction is a defining characteristic of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This can be especially challenging for adolescents as demands of social interaction increase in difficulty. Despite the need for effective social skills instruction, there are few empirically validated procedures for teaching social skills to adolescents with ASD. The present investigation evaluated the effects of a social skills training package centered around video-based group instruction (VGI) on the acquisition of complex social skills by 4 adolescents with ASD. A multiple probe across behaviors design demonstrated the effectiveness of the 3-month training package for teaching new social skills. The results suggest VGI can be an effective and efficient approach for teaching complex social behavior to adolescents with ASD.

The ability for a child to engage in the classroom is associated with better academic outcomes. Yet, there is limited information on how child characteristics of autism and adult behavior impact engagement. This study examined (1) the pattern of adult participation and child engagement in preschool classrooms that serve children with ASD, (2) the associations between child engagement and adult participation, and (3) how characteristics of ASD (autism severity, language ability, and challenging behavior) moderate the relationship between adult participation and child engagement. Overall, children were less likely to be engaged when adults were actively or passively participating with them. Moderators impacted this relationship. Children with higher levels of autism severity were more likely to be engaged when adults were actively or passively participating with them. Similarly, children with lower language abilities were more likely to be engaged when adults were actively or passively participating with them. Finally, children with higher levels of challenging behaviors were less likely to be engaged when adults were actively or passively participating with them. These findings have important implications for how adults can best support the engagement of children with ASD.