On the Same Page: Seeking Fidelity of Intervention

Program Monitoring Practices for Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Early Intervention

“…Intervention fidelity, or the degree to which an intervention or instructional strategy is implemented as intended, relies heavily on the actions of the IFSP team members who are responsible for implementing specific intervention strategies accurately and consistently (Gomez, Walis, & Baird, 2007; Gresham, MacMillan, Beebe-Frankenberger, & Bocian, 2000; McKenna, Flower, & Ciullo, 2014). It is important for team members to assess the fidelity of their interventions to determine whether limited child progress is due to poor implementation of the intervention (i.e., failing to carry out the intervention as it is intended) or poor choice of intervention (i.e., failing to select an intervention that appropriately addresses the child’s needs; McKenna et al, 2014).…”

“…The success of any intervention, therefore, often depends on its implementation fidelity. Interventions that are complex, involve multiple steps, or require the assistance of additional staff members or materials are often harder to implement with fidelity than interventions that are simple and involve only a few steps (Gomez et al, 2007; Gresham et al, 2000). Fidelity may also be influenced by team member factors, such as knowledge of, experience with, and perceived acceptability of the intervention (Gomez et al, 2007).…”

“…Interventions that are complex, involve multiple steps, or require the assistance of additional staff members or materials are often harder to implement with fidelity than interventions that are simple and involve only a few steps (Gomez et al, 2007; Gresham et al, 2000). Fidelity may also be influenced by team member factors, such as knowledge of, experience with, and perceived acceptability of the intervention (Gomez et al, 2007). Luze and Peterson (2004) argued that interventions are more likely to be implemented with fidelity if the team member(s) responsible for implementing the intervention view it is as acceptable.…”

“…Once a desired outcome for a child is identified and a strategy plan is determined, the team then needs to write-out the specific components or steps of the intervention—this is the “heart and soul” of the fidelity checklist, as it outlines for team members what it is they should be doing or saying (as an antecedent or consequence to a targeted behavior) when implementing the intervention. Although all essential components should be listed, moderate levels of specificity can be used when defining the components of the intervention strategy, as to not overwhelm the individuals responsible for implementing the intervention (Gomez et al, 2007; Gresham et al, 2000). An example of an intervention fidelity checklist is provided in Figure 1.…”

Using Implementation Checklists to Reinforce the Use of Child-Focused Intervention Strategies

“…Sometimes those individuals lack the ongoing support necessary to ensure that childfocused interventions are delivered with fidelity. One way to support the correct implementation of intervention strategies is through the use of checklists or other protocols that can provide step-by-step instructions or reminders about how to use a specific strategy (Gomez, Walis, & Baird, 2007). In addition, these checklists can serve as progress-monitoring tools for adults learning to use an intervention as well as a tool to monitor children's progress.…”