Coach’s Role Impacts the Fidelity of Coaching Caregivers of Young Autistic Children

Coaching is a relational approach used in early intervention and early childhood special education to empower families in supporting the development of their children with autism or other developmental disabilities (DD). While various individuals can coach caregivers, this flexibility underscores the importance of understanding the factors that influence the fidelity of coaching practices. This study examined how the coach’s role, shaped by their training and professional background, impacts their application of key coaching practices with caregivers of young children with autism or other DD. Data were collected from 12 coaches (Board Certified Behavior Analysts, early interventionists, and parent coaches), who collectively conducted 92 baseline and 110 intervention sessions with 15 caregivers of young children with autism or other DD. The fidelity of caregiver coaching was evaluated using the Coaching Fidelity Scale, which measures the extent to which professionals implement a set of coaching practices with fidelity. The findings indicated that the coach’s role significantly predicts coaching fidelity in the baseline phase, with varying effects based on role, but not in the intervention phase. Moreover, significant improvements in coaching fidelity were observed for all coaches from the baseline to the intervention phase, with different levels of improvement among roles.