PAR Research Plan

Research Questions
1. What are the effects of coaching on the parent’s use of Milieu Teaching?
2. What are the effects of parent implementation of Milieu Teaching on the child’s
expressive communication in daily routines?

Independent Variable (Intervention Plan)

1. Modeling: Parent will present a verbal or gestural model related to the child’s interest
when the child is facing the target item or parent.
a. If the child imitates the model, immediate social praise and the desired object
are presented to the child.
b. If the child does not respond after 5 seconds, a verbal model will be given.
Another incorrect response results in corrective feedback and immediate delivery
of the desired object or activity.
2. Prompt with time delay: parent will prompt (e.g. ask a question) the child to make a
choice about an item or activity of interest then pausing for 5 seconds for the child to
respond.
a. If the child make a choice, parent praise, model word for activity or item, and
provide the desired activity/item
b. If the child does not respond, repeat prompt with delay
i. If child responds, parent praise, model word for activity or item, and
provide the desired activity/item
ii. If the child doesn’t respond, make choice for child and model word
3. Environmental Arrangement Strategies: Parent present preferred items or activities
within the child’s sight, but out of reach and then respond to their child’s requests when
they occur.
a. materials of interest – make materials available that are of interest to the child
b. assistance – provide materials that the child needs assistance to operate
c. within view and out of reach – place some materials within the child’s views but
out of her reach
d. silly situations – create a situation that violates a child’s expectations

Parent Fidelity Measure (Data review of the parent use of the Intervention plan)

1. Modeling: Frequency of parent establishing joint attention then presents a verbal or

gestural model related to the child’s interest.
2. Prompt with Time Delay: Frequency of parent’s response to the child’s interest in an
activity or object by pausing for 5 seconds prior to implementing a model
 3. Environmental Arrangement Strategies: Frequency of the parent presenting items or
activities within the child’s sight, but out of reach and then responding to their child’s
request/choice each time they occur.

Child Dependent Variable

1. Gesture: A physical movement of the child towards the communication partner or object
a. Includes: Pointing, Taking an item, Imitation of partner’s movement, reaching
b. Excludes: Hitting, Throwing, Leaving Communication Partner, Leaving
Communication target
2. Vocalizations: Any sound emitted by the child directed towards communication partner or
object of interest within a sequence without a pause or breathe, a 1 second pause would
count as a new sequence
a. Includes: parent prompted or child initiated, non-word verbal utterance, laughing
b. Excludes: Vocal stereotypy (repetition of a sound of string of sounds), crying,
screaming
3. Single Word Utterance: A single word understood by any adult as the target word
a. Includes: parent prompted or child initiated, Single word, Standard sign language
b. Excludes: Crying, Screaming, or repetitive word but not directed to the partner or
prompt

Data Collection Plan

Record home visiting sessions to collect parent and child data for coding of parent fidelity and
child dependent measures. Videos will be coded after each session to establish present levels.
Data will be coded, graphed, and reviewed for progress monitoring and planning parent support
of intervention use.