title: Communication Intervention for Young Children with Severe Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Via Telehealth.
abstract: Young children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Rett syndrome often experience severe communication impairments. This study examined the efficacy of parent-implemented communication assessment and intervention with remote coaching via telehealth on the acquisition of early communication skills of three young children with ASD (2) and Rett syndrome (1). Efficacy of the intervention was evaluated using single-case experimental designs. First, functional assessment was used to identify idiosyncratic/potentially communicative responses and contexts for each child. Next, parents implemented functional communication training (FCT). All of the children acquired the targeted communication responses. The findings support the efficacy of telehealth as a service delivery model to coach parents on intervention strategies for their children's early communication skills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. sima0034@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simacek
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Adele F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Dimian
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McComas
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents; D015518:Rett Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D017216:Telemedicine; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted
keywords: Communication intervention; FCT; Idiosyncratic responses; Telehealth