Examining the Effects of Varying Responsive Interaction Strategies in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions

Abstract

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are child-led, blended intervention approaches for supporting young children’s development across domains. There is a need for further investigation regarding the crucial components and active ingredients across interventions to better understand how NDBI strategies work and for whom. We used an alternating treatments single case design to compare the effects of three conditions with varying balances of responsive interaction strategies typically included in NDBIs for four participants in an inclusive preschool. When comparing a high language interaction condition to a high language and play interaction condition, the high language and play condition resulted in greater indicators of dyadic engagement for three of four participants, and all participants indicated preference for this condition. Our findings contribute empirical evidence regarding the unique effects of modeling, imitating, and expanding language and play on children’s dyadic engagement.