Family Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers

Abstract

Family Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers (FITT) is a collaborative parent education and support model designed to help families better understand and engage their toddler with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Based on and adapted from the TEACCH Autism Program, FITT uses structured teaching and naturalistic strategies to facilitate toddler's receptive and expressive communication, social communication, and play skills, as well as parent groups and parent coaching to enhance parent well- being. The blended structured teaching and naturalistic strategies used in FITT support both the development of new routines designed to enhance attention, understanding, and engagement such as table- and floor-based play sessions and generalization of skills to routines that occur across the day and home environment. Across the 6-month manualized intervention, parents identify intervention priorities, conduct informal assessments to identify toddler strengths and emerging skills, and then jointly plan the implementation of FITT strategies to target identified skills across domains and routines, while the FITT interventionist serves as a consultant and coach supporting and guiding parents. Outcomes from a randomized controlled trial of the FITT intervention included improved functioning for the toddlers with ASD, as well as reduced parent stress and improved parent well-being, indicating that FITT is a promising approach for young children with ASD and their families.