Naturalistic Intervention Design for Young Children

Abstract

Naturalistic intervention design may lead to an expanded range of promising interventions for young children. Interventions described as naturalistic 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 accomplish 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 opportunity to interact with children experiencing learning or behavioral difficulties. Thus, the focus of the analysis is on (a) environments; (b) experiences provided to children; and, as critical features, (c) evident, emerging, and accessible skills of caregivers that facilitate learning or the development of alternative responses for maladaptive behaviors. Naturalistic intervention design may help achieve acceptability, generality of behavioral change, and ethnic validity.