The purpose of this K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award is to support the applicant in developing the skills necessary to become an independent researcher in the implementation and sustainment of autism-related interventions in school settings. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and lifelong developmental disability that affects 1 in 88 children in the United States. With the growing number of children with ASD enrolled in public schools, it is imperative that schools implement and sustain evidence- based interventions (EBIs) to improve children's academic, behavioral, and social outcomes. The 2012 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for ASD Research states that successful implementation in community settings of EBIs is lacking, and there are no specific studies that examine these issues. This K01 application capitalizes on an existing university-community partnership with the School District of Philadelphia to systematically examine implementation issues of a district-mandated autism EBI in urban public schools on a large scale. Under the mentorship of David Mandell, ScD, and a team of expert consultants, the proposed training and research activities will enable the applicant to: 1) understand which organizational factors affect implementation in schools; 2) develop expertise in mixed methods design to understand how organizational factors promote or impede implementation processes in public schools; and 3) acquire expertise in developing implementation interventions to address modifiable variables to improve the use and sustainment of autism EBIs in schools. The research activities associated with these training goals include three aims that build upon each other.
Aim 1 will use quantitative methods to examine staff- and school-level factors as predictors of implementation and sustainment of an EBI for children with ASD.
Aim 2 will use qualitative methods to further explore the staff-and school-level factors uncovered in Aim 1 by closely examining the implementation processes for a subset of high and low performing classrooms implementing an EBI for children with ASD. Lastly, in Aim 3, the applicant will develop an implementation intervention to support schools in their use and sustainment of autism EBIs. Findings from the proposed research projects have the potential to provide schools with the necessary supports to use EBIs and markedly improve the academic, behavioral, and social outcomes of children with ASD in public school settings.

Public Health Relevance

The work proposed in this application, Staff and School Factors Affecting Implementation of ASD Interventions in Schools, has the potential to help public schools implement and sustain evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to support many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The mentorship, training, and research activities proposed in this K01 award will result in an in-depth understanding of the implementation process in schools including what staff- and school-level factors promote or impede implementation and are likely to change with an implementation intervention. With the growing number of children with ASD enrolled in public schools, there is a great need for independent investigators with the knowledge to conduct this type of work to establish university-community partnerships to support schools in their implementation and sustainment of EBIs to improve children's academic, behavioral, and social outcomes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01MH100199-04
Application #
9319808
Study Section
Mental Health Services Research Committee (SERV)
Program Officer
Hill, Lauren D
Project Start
2014-09-25
Project End
2019-08-31
Budget Start
2017-09-01
Budget End
2019-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Lyon, Aaron R; Whitaker, Kelly; Locke, Jill et al. (2018) The impact of inter-organizational alignment (IOA) on implementation outcomes: evaluating unique and shared organizational influences in education sector mental health. Implement Sci 13:24
Gilmore, Sean; Frederick, Lindsay K; Santillan, Lupita et al. (2018) The games they play: Observations of children with autism spectrum disorder on the school playground. Autism :1362361318811987
Locke, Jill; Violante, Stephanie; Pullmann, Michael D et al. (2018) Agreement and Discrepancy Between Supervisor and Clinician Alliance: Associations with Clinicians' Perceptions of Psychological Climate and Emotional Exhaustion. Adm Policy Ment Health 45:505-517
Lyon, Aaron R; Cook, Clayton R; Brown, Eric C et al. (2018) Assessing organizational implementation context in the education sector: confirmatory factor analysis of measures of implementation leadership, climate, and citizenship. Implement Sci 13:5
Kang-Yi, Christina D; Wolk, Courtney Benjamin; Locke, Jill et al. (2018) Impact of school-based and out-of-school mental health services on reducing school absence and school suspension among children with psychiatric disorders. Eval Program Plann 67:105-112
Locke, Jill; Shih, Wendy; Kang-Yi, Christina D et al. (2018) The impact of implementation support on the use of a social engagement intervention for children with autism in public schools. Autism :1362361318787802
Locke, Jill; Anderson, Ariana; Frederick, Lindsay et al. (2018) Understanding Friendship Sex Heterophily and Relational Characteristics to Optimize the Selection of Peer Models for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 48:4010-4018
Cook, Clayton R; Davis, Chayna; Brown, Eric C et al. (2018) Confirmatory factor analysis of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitudes Scale with school-based behavioral health consultants. Implement Sci 13:116
Locke, Jill; Kang-Yi, Christina D; Pellecchia, Melanie et al. (2017) Ethnic Disparities in School-Based Behavioral Health Service Use for Children With Psychiatric Disorders. J Sch Health 87:47-54
Locke, Jill; Williams, Justin; Shih, Wendy et al. (2017) Characteristics of socially successful elementary school-aged children with autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 58:94-102

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