Meltdowns & Tantrums: Helping Parents Support Emotion Regulation in Toddlers Who May Have Autism – Sarah Edmunds, PhD

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) have been found to be effective in helping toddlers and young children with and at elevated likelihood for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) better communicate and interact with others. NDBIs combine behavioral (i.e., behavioral learning principles from the field of ABA) and developmental perspectives (i.e., naturalistic settings, scaffolding goals).

This talk will explore how strategies from NDBIs can be combined with evidence-based behavioral strategies for helping parents cope with and co-regulate with their child before, during, and after tantrums. We will explore how these strategies can be taught through Part C home visiting and used in family-centered ways, how they leverage developmental science to foster children’s growth over time, and practical ways that providers and parents can use these strategies with toddlers and young children from this talk forward.