NATURALISTIC INTERVENTION DESIGN FOR YOUNG-CHILDREN - FOUNDATIONS, RATIONALES, AND STRATEGIES

Naturalistic intervention design may lead to an expanded range of prom ising interventions for young children. Interventions described as nat uralistic are (a) generalized from developmental studies of competent caregivers, (b) founded on the realities of settings, and (c) based on the predicted success of the least intrusive intervention likely to a ccomplish the desired goals. Naturalistic intervention design stresses the need for assessment and intervention to occur within significant settings and with caregivers (and peers) who have the greatest opportu nity to interact with children experiencing learning or behavioral dif ficulties. Thus, the focus of the analysis is on (a) environments; (b) experiences provided to children; and, as critical features, (c) evid ent, emerging, and accessible skills of caregivers that facilitate lea rning or the development of alternative responses for maladaptive beha viors. Naturalistic intervention design may help achieve acceptability , generality of behavioral change, and ethnic validity.