COMPASS and Implementation Science: Improving Educational Outcomes of Children with ASD

This Brief examines COMPASS – the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success – a consultation-based intervention specialized for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Based on the Evidence-Based Practices in Psychology (EBPP) framework, the volume describes the processes that strengthen the expert support relationships between consultant and teacher (i.e., implementation) and between teacher and student (i.e., intervention). In addition, the Brief addresses how consultation methods work within COMPASS, with teachers learning from consultants' implementation methods to tailor instructions that are specific to students' educational and personal factors. This unique framework corresponds with current, widespread research and aims to provide more effective educational services for students with ASD during their crucial formative years.

Topics featured in this text include:

• COMPASS practice outcome based on idiographic assessment and measures of quality.
• Evidence for the efficacy of COMPASS.
• COMPASS implementation quality.
• COMPASS intervention quality and active ingredients.
• Teacher and student internal and external factors impacting COMPASS.

COMPASS and Implementation Science is a must-have resource for clinicians, scientist-practitioners, researchers, and graduate students in the fields of child and school psychology, behavioral therapy, and social work as well as rehabilitation, special education, and speech pathology.

Lisa Ruble is a Professor in the Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky. She is a licensed psychologist and clinician-researcher, who has provided social skills and behavioral interventions, school consultation and training and parent training in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for more than 25 years. She has authored more than 50 journal articles, book chapters and manuscripts. Dr. Ruble’s work in implementation research involves understanding how evidence- based practices can best be provided in community-based settings. In two randomized controlled trials funded by the NIH, Drs. Ruble and McGrew and co-developer Nancy Dalrymple, tested and replicated the effectiveness of a parent-teacher consultation intervention called the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS). COMPASS is an effective practice for creating personalized and collaborative treatment plans that are guided by outcomes based monitoring and coaching. She and Dr. McGrew have also created tools for measuring educational quality and educational outcomes. New studies are underway that focus on adult outcomes and quality of life, teacher burnout, parent stress and parent empowerment.

John H. McGrew earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University Bloomington. He is the former Assistant Chairman and Director of Clinical Training, and is currently Professor in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Dr. McGrew has been principal or co-principal investigator of more than fifteen grants or contracts in the area of mental health services. Dr. McGrew has published over 75 articles in books or professional journals and made more than 80 presentations at international, national and regional conferences. His research focuses on interventions to help persons and families of those, with severe mental illness, including autism, to improve their livesand to support them to live as fully as possible in the community.