Advisor(s)
Sarah O'Kelley
Committee Member(s)
Angela Barber
Kimberly Tomeny
Sylvie Mrug
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Document Type
Thesis
Department (new version)
Psychology
Date of Award
6-4-2025
Abstract
Young children diagnosed with autism and those who will go on to receive an autism diagnosis are frequently enrolled in early intervention services under Part C of IDEA. ASD-specific knowledge and self-efficacy have been shown to vary among providers working with autistic children, including those providing early intervention services (i.e., early interventionists). The current study aimed to characterize ASD-specific knowledge and self-efficacy in a sample of early interventionists in Alabama. In addition, it sought to identify differences in knowledge and self-efficacy between early interventionists serving different roles and to identify predictors of identified knowledge levels and self-efficacy ratings among participants. The sample included 107 early interventionists from seven districts in Alabama who served as Developmental Specialists, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Service Coordinators. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVAs, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify overall knowledge levels and self-efficacy ratings, differences between early interventionists serving in different roles, and predictors of knowledge levels and self-efficacy ratings among participants. Early interventionists had a mean knowledge score of 4.5 out of 6 (SD = 0.45; range 0-6) and a mean self-efficacy rating of 2.73 out of 4 (SD = 0.38; range 1-4). Knowledge scores and self-efficacy ratings varied between roles, and SLPs had significantly higher mean knowledge scores and self-efficacy ratings relative to Developmental Specialists and Service Coordinators. Training background emerged as a significant predictor for knowledge scores such that early interventionists trained in speech-language pathology had higher knowledge scores relative to early interventionists trained in early childhood/child development and social work. Mean self-efficacy ratings were predicted by knowledge scores, years of experience, and number of autistic children on caseload. Overall, results indicate fairly good knowledge of ASD and moderate self-efficacy in working with autistic children, although notable gaps were identified. These gaps call for continued training to ensure early interventionists are equipped to recognized early signs for ASD, effectively communicate concern to caregivers, and accurately address caregiver questions. ASD-focused training efforts must be ongoing to address these gaps, and future work should evaluate training outcomes and aim to identify the optimal frequency of ASD-focused continuing education.
ProQuest ID
Recommended Citation
Conlon, Greta R., "Autism Spectrum Disorder-Specific Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Among Early Interventionists In Alabama" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 7262.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7262
