Examining the Impact of Pyramid Model Implementation to Deepen Social and Emotional Supports for Enrolled Children Within Early Intervention

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Early social and emotional well-being is crucial for child development with life-long outcomes. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C Early Intervention system, which federally mandates special education services for children ages birth to three, is one place where identifying and addressing early social emotional needs could be strengthened. Focusing on an implementation science approach, the Pyramid Model (PM) is examined to see how the model’s targeted implementation efforts over many years enhance a system’s capacity to identify and address social and emotional well-being in one state over five years. Methods: Implementation science methods were used to evaluate the impact of PM implementation over time in four independently operating sites within one state, emphasizing the use of coaching to support practice change, as well as fidelity tools and examination of system changes over time. Results: All sites increased capacity for PM implementation. Results varied by site but all sites were able to demonstrate improvement and higher fidelity implementation by the last year. Conclusions: The PM is an effective model to use within IDEA Part C programs to enhance capacity to identify and address social and emotional needs of children and families receiving services. Implementation factors are needed for success, including leadership support, organizational dynamics (e.g., creating dedicated time for staff to engage in training, external and internal coaching, and case reviews), committed funding, and dedicated support for implementation and evaluation.