Building Interactive Social Communication (BISC)
This proposed research will examine the efficacy of Building Interactive Social Communication (BISC), an intervention framework that helps early intervention providers (EIPs) support families of toddlers with autism. Aimed at addressing emerging signs of autism during the developmentally malleable period of toddlerhood, BISC supports parent-mediated intervention with children that is delivered to families in person or virtually, and naturally integrates families' language and cultural preferences. In a prior IES-funded pilot study, BISC improved EIP, parent, and child learning more than typical practice. The current study will rigorously evaluate BISC's impact on key EIP, parent, and child outcomes while qualitatively examining parent-child interactions to better understand BISC's implementation, impact, and underlying influences. The results will be aimed at informing the practices and policies of early intervention systems.