Assessing the Effectiveness of Reciprocal Imitation Teaching in Part C Early Intervention Settings (Sprout Study)

RIT is a relatively straightforward, brief NDBI. It employs four simple strategies to target motor imitation and initiating joint attention during play: (1) contingent imitation of the child's verbal and nonverbal behavior, (2) linguistic mapping, (3) direct elicitation of object and gesture imitation following the child's interest, and (4) contingent reinforcement. It has been used at low intensities (e.g., 1-3 hours per week) over short periods of time (e.g., 10-12 weeks) to produce robust changes in pivotal social-communicative skills. RIT is easy to learn and can be implemented with fidelity by undergraduate-level therapists with limited backgrounds in ASD, as well as by caregivers and siblings.

The Routines webinar was adapted from a web-based tutorial developed by PI Stone and colleagues (Ibanez et al., 2018). The webinar covers topics such as why everyday routines are important, especially for children with ASD, specific steps for increasing children's participation in routines, and how to use strategies such as visual supports to clarify expectations, and provides numerous video examples of caregivers using different strategies. Providers are also given access to a video library of caregivers using the Daily Routines strategies with their children, as well as a workbook to use with families during treatment.