Abstract
Implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children with autism is challenging for teachers because these practices are often complex, requiring significant training and resources that are not available in most school settings. This brief investigation was designed to identify areas of strength and difficulty for teachers implementing one such EBP, pivotal response training (PRT). Observational data were gathered from 41 teachers participating in two separate investigations involving PRT. Despite differences in training procedures, teachers demonstrated similarities in areas of strength (clear opportunities/instruction and child choice) and difficulty (turn taking and multiple cues). These findings suggest next steps toward systematic adaptation of PRT for classroom use. The research may serve as a model for the process of adapting EBPs for practice settings.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the participating teachers for allowing us to observe their classrooms and the research assistants who carefully coded classroom videos. This work was supported by U. S. Department of Education grants R324B070027 and R324A080195, and National Institute of Mental Health Research Grants: U.S.P.H.S. Research Grant 1 R01 MH083717 and R25 MH080916.
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Suhrheinrich, J., Stahmer, A.C., Reed, S. et al. Implementation Challenges in Translating Pivotal Response Training into Community Settings. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 2970–2976 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1826-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1826-7