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Due to a variety of factors, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has long been tethered to use of low-value practice (LVP), arguably moreso than any other psychiatric or neurodevelopmental condition. Although dissemination of empirically supported treatments (EST) for autistic individuals has expanded markedly over the past decade, there has not been concomitant reduction in the use of LVP. It is critical that clinicians and scientists not only promote the implementation of EST, but also facilitate the de-implementation (abandonment and/or divestment) of ineffective or harmful practices. In this review, we describe a data-driven approach that can be used to identify LVP, drawing from established criteria for identification of evidence-based treatments (e.g., APA Division 12, National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice; SAMHSA), as well as broader considerations such as social validity, cost, and parsimony. Herein, a data-based approach to LVP identification is proposed with a goal of improving quality of service access. Within an implementation science framework, we identify specific facilitators that sustain LVP use, and recommendations for subsequent de-implementation strategies are offered., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Peer Mediated Interventions (PMIs) can be incorporated into integrated early childhood and preschool settings to address socialization impairments observed in children with ASD (Katz & Girolametto, 2013). However, research examining specific PMI strategies with young preschoolers remains limited., Objective: The current study examines the efficacy of the Stay, Play, Talk PMI (English, Shafer, Goldstein, & Kaczmerek, 1997) on the social communication skills of young preschool children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)., Method: Each of 3 typically developing children (ages 3-5 years) was paired with a child with an ASD (ages 3-4 years). Typically developing peers were taught to Stay with their friend, Play with their friend, and Talk to their friend. The child dyads played together during two, 20-min weekly sessions for 6-8 weeks. A multiple baseline design across participants was implemented to measure the impact of the Stay Play Talk strategies on social initiations and responses characterized by non-coordinated gestures, gestures, and words. Simulation Modeling Analysis was also conducted to confirm visual analysis., Results: All 3 typical peer buddies and all 3 target children with ASD demonstrated increases in the frequency of their responses, reaching levels that greatly exceeded baseline levels. Further, social reciprocations increased among each dyad above baseline. Social initiations remained variable across dyads. Gains were not maintained two months post intervention., Conclusion: Results of this study corroborated previous findings that support the usefulness of PMIs to improve social communication of young children with ASD (Chan et al., 2009) and suggest an economical, naturally occurring approach to improve social communication during early childhood., Learning Outcomes: Readers will gain knowledge regarding the social communication profile of children with ASD and how this profile can negatively impact language development and peer relationships. In addition, readers will be able to identify the basic components of the Stay Play Talk intervention. Finally, this paper will explain the impacts of the Stay Play Talk intervention on the social communication skills of young children with ASD., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)