Building Community Capacity for Early Childhood Providers

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Program

The Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics , Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
The University of Cincinnati University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Stephanie Weber, PsyD, Lindsay Mays, PhD, Katherine Bettner, Nana Entsuah, Nithya Narayan, & Emily Beltz

RESEARCH GOAL
To provide training to early childhood/daycare providers on basic knowledge and skill development of evidence-based practices for working with young children with behavioral concerns
and developmental delays/disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

PROJECT AIMS
Aim #1: Increase knowledge of developmental
concerns and positive behavior supports (PBS)
and strategies
Aim #2: Increase participant skills for using
PBS with young children
Aim #3: Increase participant confidence for
using PBS with children with and at-risk for
developmental concerns

TRAINING SERIES: 6 sessions

MODULE 1: Knowledge Building
Psychoeducation regarding developmental
disabilities, including ASDs
Psychoeducation regarding principles of
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
PBS and strategies for challenging behavior
Case vignettes
MODULE II: Skill Building
Practice skills with the training team
Skill Stations
Preference assessment
Forward/Backward chaining
Visual schedules
Wait, Break, and Help cards
MODULE III: Classroom Participation
In-vivo training in classroom with children
Competency checklists

PARTICIPANTS

RESULTS

22 total participants

DISCUSSION
Participants reported they enjoyed and learned
the following:

Gender:
21 female/1 male

How to use reinforcements

Place of Employment:*
Head Start: 4
Public: 5
Private: 10

Red flags for developmental concerns

Education:*
Associates degree: 1
Bachelors degree: 9
Masters degree: 8
Not provided: 1

Classroom/hands-on experience

All English speaking

All over 18 years of age
All employees of a child care center

Strategies to immediately implement

Information on functions of behavior
Take-home tools provided

Group Average Pretest

57%
Group Average Posttest
74%

*Complete data on 19 participants

LIMITATIONS
Competency checklists- Videos of each
participant and interobserver agreement not
available
Weather interference

MEASURES
(1) Demographics/registration
questionnaire
(2) Behavioral Knowledge Questionnaire
(23 items, Multiple choice)
(3) Bandura Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale
(13 items, 9 point Likert scale)
(4) Competency Checklists
(rating from 4=excels to 1=still
learning)
(5) Post-training qualitative interview
(with both participants & directors)

NEXT STEPS
Use participant feedback to create Autism
Speaks Early Childhood Care Provider Toolkit
Offer wait list group training in Fall 2015
Bandura Group Pre
Min: 5.54 - Max: 8.67
Mean: 7.09
Bandura Group Post
Min: 5.54 - Max: 8.55
Mean: 7.65

Identify options for cleanly obtaining

competency checklist data for participants
Acknowledgements
This project is funded by Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Grant T73MC00032 and Autism Speaks Family Services
Grant