Family Implemented Embedded Learning Opportunities to Support Children with Disabilities' Learning within Family Routines

Abstract

Young children’s healthy growth and development typically occurs as a natural process as they experience learning opportunities within naturally occurring routines in familiar settings. Children with disabilities, however, often are in need of a more deliberate approach. That is, to ensure that young children with disabilities are accessing learning opportunities and making meaningful developmental progress requires careful analysis of the types of learning opportunities that exist in their natural settings and the amount of scaffolding that might be required to support attainment of their goals. Embedded Learning Opportunities (ELO) is a research-based intervention that was developed to increase the teaching and learning opportunities provided to child in natural ongoing routines. ELO would appear to be an appropriate strategy for parents to use in supporting their child’s learning within family routines. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of parents supporting their young children’s learning through ELO interventions. Three single-case studies were conducted with three parent/child dyads. Each case represented an independent single-case multi-probe multiple baseline across behaviors design to assess the impact of training on the use of ELO interventions on the parent’s and subsequently on the child’s behaviors in home routines. The results revealed that all parents learned to use the ELO strategies and their children made improvements in their target goals. Implications for future research and practice including a discussion of the professionals’ role in supporting families with young children with disabilities is discussed.