Implementation Research: Embracing Practitioners' Views.

Purpose: This research explores practitioners' perspectives during the implementation of triadic gaze intervention (TGI), an evidence-based protocol for assessing and planning treatment targeting gaze as an early signal of intentional communication for young children with physical disabilities. Method: Using qualitative methods, 7 practitioners from 1 early intervention center reported their perceptions about (a) early intervention for young children with physical disabilities, (b) acceptability and feasibility in the use of the TGI protocol in routine practice, and (c) feasibility of the TGI training. Qualitative data were gathered from 2 semistructured group interviews, once before and once after TGI training and implementation. Results: Qualitative results documented the practitioners' reflections on recent changes to early intervention service delivery, the impact of such change on TGI adoption, and an overall strong enthusiasm for the TGI protocol, despite some need for adaptation. Conclusion: These results are discussed relative to adapting the TGI protocol and training, when considering how to best bring about change in practice. More broadly, results highlighted the critical role of researcher-practitioner collaboration in implementation research and the value of qualitative data for gaining a richer understanding of practitioners' perspectives about the implementation process.

Moving Triadic Gaze Intervention Into Practice: Measuring Clinician Attitude and Implementation Fidelity.

Purpose: This research investigated a first step in implementing the dynamic assessment (DA) component of Triadic Gaze Intervention (Olswang, Feuerstein, Pinder, & Dowden, 2013; Olswang et al., 2014), an evidence-based protocol for teaching early signals of communication to young children with physical disabilities. Clinician attitudes about adopting external evidence into practice and implementation fidelity in DA protocol delivery were examined following training. Method: Seven early intervention clinicians from multiple disciplines were trained to deliver the four essential elements of the DA protocol: (a) provide communication opportunity, (b) recognize child's potentially communicative signal, (c) shape child's signal toward triadic gaze, and (d) reinforce with play. Clinician attitude regarding adopting evidence into practice was measured at baseline and follow-up, with the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (Aarons, 2004). Implementation fidelity in delivering the protocol was measured for adherence (accuracy) and competence (quality) during trial implementation. Results: Clinicians' attitudes about trying new evidence that at first was perceived as incongruent with their practice improved over the course of the research. Clinicians demonstrated strong adherence to the DA protocol; however, competence varied across clinicians and appeared related to child performance. Conclusions: The results provided insight into moving Triadic Gaze Intervention into practice and yielded valuable information regarding the implementation process, with implications for future research.